To the Editor:

As the federal government shutdown stretches on for weeks now, our focus must be on people and not politics. This prolonged impasse has a devastating and immediate impact right here in Oswego County ― impacting our neighbors, our families and our children.

Oswego County already ranks in the top 10% of New York state counties with high poverty rates. This shutdown threatens a halt to essential services to individuals and families that keep them fed, housed and healthy. It threatens to pull more families further into poverty and strain the local nonprofits that form our community’s critical safety net.

We see the potential for lasting negative impact every day. Consider the story of “Mark,” a father of four who was the main breadwinner, working a decent-paying local job. A sudden, serious medical diagnosis exhausted all his sick leave, leading to the eventual loss of his job. Now, Mark is struggling to pay the bills and, most agonizingly, to keep food on the table for his children. His story is a stark reminder that many families are just one crisis — one illness, one job loss — away from financial hardship. This shutdown means the critical assistance he now relies on, like SNAP for food security, health care access and stable housing programs, are hanging by a thread.

The basic needs of families and children — having food in the cupboard, a roof over their heads, and access to doctors and life-saving medications — transcend any political debate. Without swift action, these essential lifelines are at risk of being cut or delayed.

For 59 years, Oswego County Opportunities Inc. (OCO) has been a reliable pillar of support, providing essential services that empower more than 15,000 individuals annually to thrive. Many OCO programs, which range from food security and shelter to early education and health services, rely on federal funding.

A sustained shutdown places services in jeopardy just when the need is escalating. Already struggling individuals and families, and even those like Mark who are newly in crisis, will turn to OCO and other local nonprofits. The burden will fall squarely on our already strained resources. Normally at this time of year we are hoping to expand offerings around Thanksgiving and the holiday season. Instead, if the government shutdown continues, we will instead be looking at ways we can sustain our critical services. We simply do not have the capacity to meet the needs of even more people without the federal funds that are woven into the foundation of the aid we provide.

The essential services we provide and the families in need must not become collateral damage as a result of current politics. Oswego County Opportunities Inc. will continue to serve Oswego County to the best of our ability during times of financial uncertainty, always with a focus on fulfilling our mission of helping people, supporting communities and changing lives.

Diane Cooper-Currier

Executive Director

Oswego County Opportunities Inc.

Fulton

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