The Disability Awareness Council in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, assists individuals with disabilities in the community, offering aid ranging from transportation to housing advocacy. But for now, many services are on hold.
“Because of the shutdown and cuts, core disability services that people rely on every week are either paused, reduced or running with unpaid labor,” said Timothy Miles, the organization’s director and board liaison.
As the standoff in Washington drags on, many nonprofits have lost access to federal grants and must make tough decisions about what aid they can offer and for how long.
At the same time, the shutdown has put some federal assistance, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, at risk just when the need for help is increasing. With hundreds of thousands of federal employees and contract workers furloughed and without pay, that adds to the strain on nonprofits that are needed to help fill the gap.
“Nonprofits are on the frontlines of serving communities, but a government shutdown makes it harder for them to fulfill their missions,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, an industry association.
