Denver cafe prepares for wave of food insecurity as SNAP benefits pause amid federal shutdown

As the federal government shutdown stretches on, thousands of furloughed workers are missing paychecks. Another blow looms for families already struggling to put food on the table. SAME Café in Denver says it's ready to help the community, just as it has for the last 19 years.

Starting Nov. 1, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or "SNAP," benefits are expected to pause, leaving millions of Americans without their primary source of grocery support.

In Colorado, where food prices have increased by nearly 25% since 2020, that pause could exacerbate an already growing crisis.

For Carrie Shores, executive director of SAME Café, the coming weeks could bring a rush of new faces through the nonprofit restaurant's doors. They're already seeing more guests.

"We serve anywhere between 50 and 75 lunches a day," Shores said. "We have seen an increase in people coming in. I think it's just a multitude of factors, but particularly when the weather starts cooling down, we also see an increase of people coming in for lunch."

The café operates on a "participation-based" model. Diners pay what they can, volunteer for 30 minutes, or bring produce in exchange for a healthy meal.

"It's a café where everybody can come and eat, regardless of their financial status, whether they have money or not," Shores explained. "Food is a right, not a privilege. We don't need to politicize food."

Shores says SAME Café is ready to respond.

"We're prepared to serve 100-plus meals every day if needed," she said.

The café's menu changes daily, depending on what local farms and community gardens donate. In 2024 alone, SAME Café received nearly 29,000 pounds of fresh, locally grown produce - ingredients the kitchen team transforms into soups, salads, and entrées.

Every Friday, the café also runs a "Free-for-All Market," where anyone can pick up produce at no cost.

"When you have things happening in your life that may be a struggle, to have a place you can come and know you'll always be treated with dignity and respect, that's huge," Shores said.

For Tyrone Maestas, SAME Café has been both a refuge and a second home.

"I was unemployed for about 10 months," Maestas said. "I needed access to healthy food, and this place gave me that opportunity and a community that I absolutely needed during the time I was struggling."

Now, Maestas is among the federal employees furloughed during the shutdown.

"I've been furloughed for the past few weeks," he said. "While I'm not currently experiencing food insecurity, I know that there are a number of people that are or will be very shortly. Having a place like this to fall back on is instrumental."

With SNAP funding in limbo, organizations like SAME Café are bracing for a surge of new guests. Shores says the public can help by donating, volunteering, or simply coming in for lunch.

"There's no ego here," Maestas said. "You'll see people sitting in business suits next to people who might not have a place to go, and everyone's just sharing stories. That's one of the things I love."

SAME Café is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Learn more or contribute at soallmayeat.org.