As a result, more than 13,000 employees and contractors<\/a> have been missing paychecks, forcing some to seek food assistance at local food banks. <\/p>\n Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela<\/p>\n \/<\/p>\n KERA<\/p>\n The North Texas Food Bank is preparing for a potential surge in demand due to the prolonged federal government shutdown.<\/p>\n Nonprofits like the North Texas Food Bank say they\u2019ve been closely monitoring the shutdown to try and adjust services if the shutdown extends beyond October.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re trying to just wade through what is true and what is not,\u201d said Clarissa Clarke, government relations officer with the NTFB, \u201cand just focusing on helping our neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n The North Texas Food Bank operates in 12 counties and partners with more 500 partner banks<\/a> reaching as far south as Navarro County. Since the start of the shutdown, NTFB and its partners have had frequent meetings to avoid any early signs of strain.<\/p>\n Even prior to the shutdown, federal grant cuts from the Trump Administration have made it more difficult for food banks to operate.<\/p>\n The largest cut to federal assistance came when the USDA discontinued the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program<\/a>. The NTFB received nearly $10 million from the USDA that allowed food banks to purchase fresh, local produce from area farmers.<\/p>\n The food bank was able to adjust the loss of funding which would have been used for the 2026 fiscal year, but other factors like post-pandemic inflation and cost-of-living<\/a> have dramatically increased costs, said food bank spokesperson Jeff Smith.<\/p>\n \u201cNTFB is now spending four to five times more on food than we did four years ago,\u201d Smith said. \u201cBefore the pandemic, our annual food spending averaged around $5 million; today, it\u2019s closer to $25\u201330 million because of both higher demand and increased costs.\u201d<\/p>\n Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela<\/p>\n \/<\/p>\n KERA <\/p>\n The Tarrant Area Food Bank says, because of its holiday season preparation, it will be able to handle any additional demands due to the shutdown.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, food banks are also preparing for its surge ahead of the holiday season.<\/p>\n The Tarrant Area Food Bank has seen an increase in donations and volunteers ahead of its holiday distribution, which starts mid-November. As a result, the bank remains confident it can handle the rise in demand due to the government shutdown, said Jared Williams with the Tarrant Area Food Bank.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are closely monitoring impacts on the ground, whether that\u2019s federal employees or contracted workers,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIf we see a huge increase in demand, we\u2019ll deploy additional resources and potentially host more distributions where local agencies can\u2019t meet the need.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams added that the TAFB has also felt the impact of federal funding reductions, losing more than $4.2 million in government support last year. The organization, which serves 12 counties, is now backing up new legislation that would replace the LFPA.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re advocating for programs that strengthen nutrition and support our local agriculture economies,\u201d Williams said. \u201cWhen neighbors face crisis, produce and protein are often the first things they can\u2019t afford.\u201d<\/p>\n That bill, called the Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act<\/a>, was introduced in July, but is still in committee.<\/p>\n Both food banks are still urging families to apply for SNAP benefits, or food stamps, even as funds run out. SNAP has secured funding for October for 3.5 million Texans, but it sees its\u2019 allocations run out at the end of the month<\/a>.<\/p>\n For now, the food banks say they remain confident in their ability to provide food assistance if the shutdown continues. But they do warn that an extended shutdown could place additional strain on already stretched resources.<\/p>\n Leaders at both banks say they\u2019ve been in frequent contact with local and federal officials to stay informed and coordinate potential responses.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re following the news just like everybody else, and we don’t know,\u201d said Clarke. \u201cWe have good relationships with all of our members of the Congress, the House and Senate, and they are very supportive of what we do. We stay in contact with them, but it seems like there’s kind of a deadlock right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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