Government shutdown hits Utah Catholics

Intermountain Catholic

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Arches National Park is among the popular tourist sites that have been closed because of the government shutdown. IC graphic/Jenn Sparks

SALT LAKE CITY — From Ogden to Moab, the shutdown of the federal government is affecting individual Catholics, parishes and social services alike throughout the state.

The impact of the federal government shutdown at the Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank in Ogden so far has been minimal, "but we do expect that to increase," said Marcie Valdez, director of Catholic Community Services Northern Utah.

The food bank is the largest in the area, and Weber County is home to many federal employees who work at the regional IRS center and Hill Air Force Base.

Valdez said that two single mothers who are federal employees came to the food bank on Oct. 3. "It will be this week or next week when they start to feel the impact by not getting a full paycheck or not getting a paycheck, and they were just trying to be proactive about learning what resources are available to them," she said. "They have little kids, so their concern is how will they make sure that their kids have the food that they need."

The women "were so humbled to have to be here," Valdez said. "They were embarrassed. They had never had to seek assistance through a food pantry before."

Although CCS Northern Utah was able to provide each woman with a full shopping cart of food, Valdez couldn’t offer help with another concern: their rent.

"Unfortunately, there’s just not a lot of housing and rental assistance resources right now," she said. "That’s probably one of my biggest concerns for these families, is how they will meet their rent with the loss of income and some of their other basic needs such as utilities."

Meanwhile, Valdez said she has contacted other social services agencies in Weber County, such as United Way, to determine what resources will be available should the federal government shutdown continue.

The CCS operations in Salt Lake City, including the Saint Vincent de Paul Dining Hall, expect to see increased need as well, particularly because many of their existing clients do receive some sort of federal assistance, said CCS spokesperson Danielle Stamos.

CCS also receives some federal funding, and if the shutdown continues they may need to scale back or eventually close some programs, she said. "It just depends on how long the shutdown lasts."

In the meantime, "We’ve been reaching out to our donors and our volunteers, letting them know what is happening … and asking them to support us even more through their food and clothing and monetary donations."

Across the state in Moab, Father Bill Wheaton, pastor of Saint Pius X Catholic Church, said a number of his parishioners work for the National Park Service or the Bureau of Land Management, while other parishioners are employed in the area’s tourism industry. With the closure of the nearby national parks, tourists are staying away, meaning business is down.

"The other thing that’s very sad is that I have had several Catholics who came to Mass in the last day or so, and because they have barricades up at both Canyonlands and Arches [national parks], these people were very disappointed. They talked about spending a year planning their vacations" and now they can’t visit world-famous sights like Delicate Arch or the petroglyphs in Horseshoe Canyon, Fr. Wheaton said.

This time of year, the national parks near Moab draw many seniors on bus tours as well as European tourists, said Fr. Wheaton, adding that he feels for all of them because for some it is the trip of a lifetime, due to the distance, finances or their health concerns.

The ripple effect of the shutdown could affect even Fr. Wheaton’s parish budget, he said. "Tourists this time of year contribute a hefty chunk of the budget," he said. "They tend to be very generous. Most of the support throughout the year comes from local parishioners, though, and with the shutdown their paychecks are affected, too."