A Newfound Difficulty: Joseph’s Story

When there’s not a government shutdown, Joseph Allen works for the IRS helping average Kansas Citians set up payment plans and figure out what qualifies as a write-off.

Instead, Joseph recently attended a roundtable with U.S. Rep. Sharise Davids (D-Kan) to talk about how to get his coworkers and others in the federal government back to work.

“The (Trump) administration has given me all this time to come and talk to the press about how long we might be out of work. I think it’d be better if I was working right now,” Allen said.

Following the last scheduled paychecks, many households in Kansas City will be hard hit.

“I don’t think it’s fully hit people right now, but after they find out that they are not getting a paycheck (until the shutdown ends), people are going to be wanting to know where food is. And I think we need to be prepared to meet that need,” he said.

Harvesters offers a Food Locator to help federal workers and neighbors within the food bank’s 27-county service area find a pantry, drive-through food pickup or kitchen near them.

Joseph lives with his wife, who works outside the federal government, but the loss of one income has already put stress on the household.

“We put some bills on my credit card and that’s going to be difficult for us to pay that. It’s going to be difficult for us to pay rent. You know, we’re not going to have as much money coming in,” he said.

“We’ve been able to acquire food from community members, and I think the big looming issue is going to be mortgages, rents, utilities, loans, car payments, all these things…I’m glad Harvesters providing food, and providing food today for us today,” Joseph said.

He looks down at the packaged snacks offered to those taking part of the roundtable during the lunch hour: “This is the first food I’ve had today.”

Allen spent more than a decade working in the New York City film industry. He moved back to Missouri, where he grew up, during the pandemic seeking job stability.

“The IRS was there to catch me,” he said.

Although frustrated by the shutdown, Joseph is grateful Harvesters can help catch those who might be falling on hard times.

“I mean, this is not a good thing to say, but I’m sure there are some people who are maybe understanding what it’s like for people who are more food insecure. It’s something you don’t think about, unless you really do need it,” he said.