HARDEE COUNTY, Fla. — In one of Florida’s poorest counties, a small-town pastor is preparing for a challenge unlike any he has faced before.
Wendell Smith, founder of Cutting Edge Ministries Food Bank in rural Hardee County, has weathered literal storms like Charlie, Frances, Jeanne, Ian. However, the figurative storm that’s fast approaching could be entirely different.
WATCH: With food stamp funding uncertain, a rural Florida food bank braces for a flood of need
If the government shutdown stretches into November, millions of Americans could lose their SNAP benefits, the federal program that helps families buy groceries.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Hardee Help Center, nearly 80% of respondents said they would seek help from local food pantries like Cutting Edge if SNAP benefits lapse.
Even without the shutdown, Smith’s food bank was already in high demand.
“Every week, we have new people. They advised me the other week, we’ve got 6,500 families registered, and we serve 2,000 of those every month,” the pastor said.
His pantry relies on partners like Feeding Tampa Bay, one of the state’s largest food providers. In a Tuesday update, the nonprofit says more than 250,000 households in its network could lose assistance next week, and it’s staging emergency distributions starting November 3 to try to fill the gap.
“Our provision of food and additional resources will continue as long as necessary to provide the needed support,” the nonprofit assured.
Smith is also making preparations at his Hardee County food bank. He is planning an extra distribution on Friday evening next week for working families. He’s calling food providers almost constantly. He’s also preparing to stretch the food he does have more thinly.
“We’re going to have to be frugal with what we get,” he said.
The faces of those who rely on him are never far from his mind.
“My heart goes out to these single moms that we get calls from, these seniors who say, ‘Hey, what are we going to do?’” Smith said through tears.
Across the state, food banks are warning that SNAP cuts could create a crisis. With hundreds of thousands of families potentially losing access to federal food assistance, local pantries may not be able to meet the surge in demand. Smith believes the demand could double at Cutting Edge.
“This is my heart, and my heart cry is that those that have the means to help us need to step up now,” he said.
For now, the affable pastor is focused on the families he can serve, and he’s hoping that generosity and community support will carry them through if SNAP funding lapses.
He knows the challenge is looming, but for him, the mission is clear: feed his neighbors, one family at a time.
“The scripture says that Jesus said that the poor would always be with you,” the pastor said. “And we’re [here] to take care of them.”
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