(NEXSTAR) – If things don’t change soon, over 40 million Americans are set to lose their federal food assistance starting Saturday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has indicated that without a resolution to the government shutdown, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be unavailable in November. This program helps feed about 1 in 8 people in the U.S.
Many low-income households depend on monthly assistance, automatically loaded onto their EBT cards, to purchase groceries. The amount a household receives is based on factors like income and number of family members. On average, individuals get around $187 monthly.
In some states, like Virginia, officials are planning to tap into emergency funds to reload EBT cards while more states are channeling funds to food banks or advising residents to reach out to local charities for help.
How to find food assistance when SNAP funds expire
Feeding America has a directory that can help locate local food banks, food pantries, and meal programs. You can visit their site, enter your zip code, and find specific details about nearby resources.
Additionally, checking your state’s SNAP page could be useful for more information, as states are responding to the shutdown in different ways, potentially offering more resources in your area.
Will there be enough donations to meet demand?
Even before the potential halt of SNAP benefits, food banks were experiencing a surge in demand.
The food pantry at Central Christian Church in Indianapolis was unusually busy recently, doubling the number of individuals it typically serves.
Volunteer Beth White noted that, “The demand is increasing, and we know that’s really what’s been happening since the economic downturn.” She added that with SNAP funding likely to stop, things “are going to continue to get worse for people.”
Several states, including California and New York, have allocated millions to support food banks and nonprofits, but many are still worried it won’t be enough.
George Matysik, who leads the Philadelphia Food Bank Share Food Program, emphasized the challenge, stating, “SNAP provides nine times as much food as the entire food bank network combined, so it’s wildly unreasonable to think we are the only resource to address this gap.”
Community organizers are raising alarms about long lines and potential shortages. Matysik expressed concern that supplies might run out entirely. “I’ve been here seven years,” he remarked. “I have never seen our warehouses as empty as they are now.”
Claire Babineau Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, added, “If you take away SNAP, the impact would be devastating. I think people think someone will step in before it gets worse. Well, it’s already bad. And it’s getting even worse.”
