TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — With federal food assistance at risk of losing funding, many families across the country are turning to food banks to help meet their needs.

In Troy, one pantry is already seeing changes.  

The Troy Resilience Project (TRP) is a social service organization dedicated to helping those in need. TRP gets food donations from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, which is a member of the Heart of Alabama Food Bank. 

TRP Executive Director Maggie Doss said the government shutdown has caused an uptick in families needing food.  

“We’ve already seen a huge increase in families coming to access our food pantry,” Doss said. “Yesterday, within the first hour of the announcement, we cleared out the food pantry. Luckily, we got food again today. Typically, we get fifteen bags of food at a time. 

“We were already down to five or seven bags the last time I checked.” 

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According to Doss, TRP serves food to around forty to seventy families each month. She expects that number to increase once SNAP benefits disappear on November the first.  

“I know for a fact that the families we serve every month will be here, but I know hundreds of families in Pike County are going to be without food,” Doss said. 

Even though the government shutdown has caused food insecurity for some, Doss is determined to keep mouths fed.  

“It’s very scary,” Doss said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do as an agency to try to combat this. I know that my team is going to do everything that we can together food to as many families as we can.” 

To donate to TRP, readers can drop off non-perishable food items and toiletries at 401 S. Brundidge Street Troy, AL 36081. To donate money, visit troyresilianceproject.org.