As DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency, continues to make cuts it leaves uncertainty.
For some grant recipients, one minute they are told their grant is being suspended, and the next it’s restored. A church in Sioux Falls just experienced this.
When Pastor Chris Matson from downtown Sioux Falls’ Church on the Street received a text saying a USDA grant would be suspended, “devastation” hit. Matson began to question what the future of the church’s food pantry would be and what comes next.
Then, she decided to go to what she knows best.
“I just need to pray for a couple of minutes,” Matson said.
Matson then turned to Facebook to share the news with the Church community, asking for financial help and action.
“But also, we can reach out to members who are serving in Congress. Let them know what has happened, and how it has impacting you, your community and Church on the Street,” Matson said.
She said the grant provides fresh produce and healthy foods to 1,400 people a month dealing with poverty and homelessness, but that day it felt like the rug was being pulled out from under them.
“For us it was really hard to just let people know that, yes the food pantry is open today, but just want to give you the FYI that we don’t have the fresh stuff that we normally do,” Matson said.
The following Tuesday Pastor Matson was in a laundromat with the church’s ministry, Laundry with Love. There, they were paying for people’s clothes to be washed and dried. She received a text message.
“Oh, my goodness! The funding is back everybody!” Matson said. “Because our whole community in that laundromat, is also the community that accesses the food pantry. And so, there was palpable excitement that it was back.”
She said the whiplash effect was stressful, but relief ensued knowing the grant is guaranteed to provide healthy food to those who need it most for a little longer.
“What results from the lack of healthy, fresh food is really evident in the population. When we have the produce, it Improves people’s quality of life, it improves health that is especially important," Matson said. "We have a number of new folks to the area from various other countries, and when they come and look at the things that are in our pantry and all of these boxes and bags, it doesn’t look like anything that their used to cooking. But you hand someone a potato, some bok choy, some garlic, onions they can cook with that. They know that they’re going to feed their families well.”
She said while the church is providing fresh, healthy produce right now, their “guard is still up” because she worries about when the next text may come in.
