Community members step in to help when government shutdown affected SNAP benefits

Photos from left to right: Icicle Brewing presents a check to MEND as part of the benefit concert that took place there on November 16; Curtis Roy Moore (left) and concert organizer Seth Garrido; Owen Barnhart; the Welter Brothers; a concert goer brings turkeys to donate; Seth Garrido with co-organizer Erika Hernandez; Doldrums band members Seth Garrido and Anna Sandberg. Photos by Jesus Laurel.

When Leavenworth musician Seth Garrido and his girlfriend Anna Sandberg heard that the government shutdown was going to affect people’s ability to access their SNAP food assistance benefits, they wanted to do something to help.

“We have some money,” Seth and Anna said to each other. “Let’s go buy some stuff.”

The couple went to the grocery store and bought items they knew the Community Cupboard food pantry would need—things like diapers, canned food and personal hygiene items. They discussed it and decided they could afford to take food to the Cupboard once a month, but soon realized there were other ways they could help, too.

“The impetus was ‘oh yeah, that’s a need and I could do something about it,’” said Seth.

Seth, who has lived in Leavenworth since 2012, sent a message in a group thread of local musicians asking if anyone would be interested in playing at a benefit concert to help people affected by the loss of SNAP.

“I heard back from almost everybody, almost immediately,” he said. “They said, ‘Yeah, let’s do this.’”

SNAP Benefit Concert Series

The response was so large among local musicians and venues that Seth was able to organize three concerts, each at a different location and all with different bands. Seth paired up with Erika Hernandez, co-owner of The Greatest Adventure Wedding & Elopements, who wanted to help. She handled the marketing for all the events.

The first benefit concert on Sunday, November 16 benefited Upper Valley MEND and took place at Icicle Brewing in Leavenworth, which donated 25% of all the proceeds from the night to MEND as well. The music was arranged festival-style, with five bands playing about 30 minutes each. The bands included Seth and Anna in their band The Doldrums, Owen Barnhart, the Welter Brothers, Curtis Roy Moore and Chris Ward. The concert brought in 350 pounds of donated food and hygiene items and $575 in cash donations, plus donations directly to MEND via the website.

The second and third benefit concerts on subsequent weekends benefited the Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council, the food bank that distributes food to smaller food pantries throughout the region, including the Community Cupboard.

“If you’re living in a community, there are going to be people in need of support,” said Seth. “It’s our job to help provide it. That’s the gig. And this way, there’s also some good music and community included.”

Although the government shutdown has ended and families are once again receiving their SNAP benefits, need is still high at the Community Cupboard. The Community Cupboard saw as much traffic in the first six months of 2025 as they saw in all of 2024.

Thanks to community support like Seth’s benefit concert, donations and food drives, the Cupboard is currently able to keep up with demand. However, need at the Cupboard is unlikely to diminish any time soon; ongoing support—especially outside of the holiday season—is essential to ensure community members get the food they need.

“To quote Utah Phillips {American labor organizer, folk singer, storyteller and poet}, ‘It’s called direct action, and it comes highly recommended,’” said Seth. “What you can do should be done.”