‘It puts me deeper in the hole’ | Houston family braces for loss of SNAP benefits amid shutdown

SNAP and WIC benefits risk running out for over 41 million people as the government shutdown persists.

HOUSTON — The clock is ticking on SNAP and WIC benefits as the government shutdown continues. The federally funded benefit risks having no money for more than 41 million people as the shutdown nears a month.

KHOU 11 News spoke with Eric Maxwell, who you’ll often find in his southwest Houston neighborhood helping his grandfather get off his Metro bus shuttle and into the house.

“I need some guacamole,” Maxwell’s grandfather told him.

“You need some guacamole? Yes, sir, well, I’ll go down to the store,” Maxwell said.

“You said you’ve been very closely watching to see if any progress is going to be made in reopening the government because the SNAP benefits have the potential to overlap,” KHOU 11 Reporter Amanda Henderson said.

“Ain’t no telling what was going to, what kind of domino effect that will cause down the line,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell gets $265 monthly from SNAP, which he says he uses to buy food to cook for himself and his grandparents.

“$265 seems like a lot until you go in the store and you know what I’m saying, get serious sticker shock,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell is one of millions who use SNAP or WIC to pay for food. SNAP helps one in eight Americans buy groceries.

Those benefits are currently at risk of not being funded for November as the government shutdown continues.

“Sometimes, I may eat breakfast and lunch, sometimes I may eat lunch and dinner, you know, but with this, it even puts me deeper in the hole,” Maxwell said. 

Maxwell’s story is a similar one that the Military Family Advisory Network is hearing as well.

Alongside Umoja Health, they’re making free food boxes here in Houston for military families across the nation affected by the government shutdown and possible benefits lapse.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty there and so it’s really creating this perfect storm for people. The uncertainty around pay, the uncertainty around those benefits,” MFAN CEO Shannon Razsadin said.

Razsadin said these food boxes will continue to be made throughout the shutdown and benefit from the uncertainty.

“We are really counting on our partners. We’re counting on citizens to really join us so that we can make this moment,” Razsadin said.

If you would like to help MFAN support the military families impacted by the government shutdown or who risk losing their benefits.

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