Aransas County is giving up to $100K to Rockport-Fulton Good Samaritans as demand grows and more families turn to the pantry for support.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As millions of Americans continue to recover from food insecurity following the government shutdown, Aransas County leaders said they are stepping in to help.
County commissioners approved up to $100,000 in emergency funding for the Rockport-Fulton Good Samaritans. The money comes from the county’s health care sales tax fund.
County Judge Ray Garza said the decision was not made lightly, and that the community’s needs made it clear action was necessary.
“We didn’t know when the government was going to come back up and people were going to be able to buy food,” he said.
Garza added that while not everyone in Aransas County lives under the same circumstances, many families are having to stretch what little they have.
“Aransas County isn’t just big houses, big lawns. There’s a working class here. The cost of living in Aransas County is high. It is a struggle for some of the working families that have been here for generations,” he said.
Stefany Simmons, executive director of the Rockport-Fulton Good Samaritans, said the additional funding will make a huge difference for their operations.
“Especially for 2026, we are kind of in uncharted waters right now with the changes to the SNAP benefit program. So we are expected to see a significant headcount increase and therefore an increase in expenses,” she said.
Simmons said as the holiday season picks up, she and her team are already seeing the need grow.
“500 households a month is what we typically serve, however in just these past two months I’ve seen an increase in that. It’s close to more like 600,” she said.
She added that the organization is always accepting donations, whether it’s canned goods dropped off in person or contributions made online.