Fear is a powerful motivator.

It makes people more aware, shocks them out of their complacency and inspires them to act.

The signs about the threat to people’s ability to feed themselves have been evident for some time, as rising grocery prices and declining economic stability have increased demands on food pantries and other service providers to ensure an adequate supply of food to feed all those in need.

Volunteers in some places have seen double-digit increases in the number of people visiting their warehouses and kitchens lately, while at the same time they’ve seen their supplies dwindle due to declines in government assistance and the challenges of accessing low-cost food to fill their coffers to meet the higher demand.

Those on the front lines of feeding the hungry have been expressing concern for a long time.

But now that concern has turned to fear with the federal government shutdown and the Trump administration’s refusal to extend funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a federal program........

© The Leader Herald