Texas SNAP benefits are being restored, bringing relief to Coastal Bend families who turned to the Food Bank in record numbers during the long outage.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — From mobile food distributions to daily pantry visits, the Coastal Bend Food Bank saw demand spike across the region during the 43-day pause in SNAP benefits.
RELATED: New program to help Coastal Bend Food Bank with food demands, donations still needed
The nonprofit also has SNAP specialists available to help families navigate the system. According to Viviana Flores, who oversees the Food Bank’s Social Services Department, her team assists Coastal Bend residents with applications and renewals for programs including SNAP and Medicaid, as well as helping people understand what documents they need.
A significant number of families in the region rely on SNAP to put food on the table. Flores said she sees between 30 and 50 people each month who need help signing up for benefits.
“We service 11 counties and within those 11 counties — 99,000 individuals are recipients of those benefits,” Flores said.
Most SNAP recipients in the Coastal Bend live in Nueces County, with just over 29,000 people enrolled. San Patricio County follows with just under 5,000 cases, and Jim Wells County has about 4,000.
With the shutdown now lifted, Flores said the timing is critical as families prepare for the holidays.
“They were just looking for food. They needed assistance, needed help. A lot of people felt helpless — you know, they can’t feed their families, their kids. It was hard for them,” Flores said. “I’ve heard a lot of people are now receiving their benefits, which is great for them. They will be able to feed their families for the holidays.”
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be fully restored by today, though many families have already begun receiving partial payments.