{"id":23736,"date":"2025-10-28T00:16:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T00:16:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/23736\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T00:16:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T00:16:07","slug":"texas-food-banks-prepare-for-increased-demand-during-government-shutdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/23736\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas food banks prepare for increased demand during government shutdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

TEXAS (KTAL\/KMSS<\/a>) \u2014 Texas food banks are accelerating emergency response efforts to support families as the government shutdown continues.<\/p>\n

The state emergency food system is expected to face a surge in need as federal employees and members of the armed services experience income disruptions, and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefit delays are set to begin on November 1.<\/p>\n

Government shutdown endangers SNAP recipients <\/a><\/p>\n

Feeding Texas<\/a> CEO, Celia Cole, said, \u201cFood banks are seeing a wave of new faces and families who\u2019ve never needed emergency food assistance before. We\u2019re doing everything we can to meet the moment, but food banks were already seeing increased need due to rising food costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe shutdown adds another layer of strain to an already stretched emergency food system. Communities across Texas are feeling the pressure, and food banks need additional support to keep up with the growing demand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eleven percent of Texans \u2014more than 3.5 million people \u2014participate in the SNAP program, including 170,000 in the 26 counties served by the East Texas Food Bank<\/a> (ETFB).<\/p>\n

David Emerson, East Texas Food Bank CEO, said, \u201cHere in East Texas alone, more than 11,000 federal workers are missing paychecks and turning to ETFB and our pantry partners to help feed their families. We are preparing for a surge for food assistance due to SNAP benefits not being available.\u201d<\/p>\n

SNAP cuts in Trump\u2019s big, beautiful bill concern Louisiana farmers, food banks <\/a><\/p>\n

Feeding Texas is releasing data<\/a> that shows SNAP participation by county to help Texans understand the local impact of delayed SNAP benefits. The data is based on the most recent figures<\/a> from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission<\/a> (HHSC) and includes breakdowns by age and benefit level.<\/p>\n

The data shows that half of all SNAP participants are under 18, and almost 15 percent are age 60 and older.<\/p>\n

Feeding Texas estimates that 126,000 Texans could be affected daily by delayed SNAP payments, resulting in a loss of $614 million in food benefits statewide if the shutdown lasts the entire month.<\/p>\n

Cole said, \u201cWhen you consider that the vast majority of SNAP recipients are children, seniors, and people with disabilities, the stakes become painfully clear. These are our neighbors, our grandparents, our kids. A delay in benefits isn\u2019t just inconvenient\u2014it\u2019s devastating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means empty pantries, skipped meals, and added stress for families already living on the edge. Communities across Texas will feel the ripple effects, from our schools to our local economies. This is a moment that demands urgent action and compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Census data shows 333,992 federal employees and 117,567 armed service members who could be affected by the shutdown. Those numbers do not include family members or contract employees.<\/p>\n

Texarkana food banks dealing with cancelled shipments of food from USDA <\/a><\/p>\n

Cole explained, \u201cThis shutdown is a reminder of how close many families are to facing hunger. One missed paycheck can mean an empty fridge. Meanwhile, SNAP is a lifeline for millions of Texans, and that lifeline may be paused for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFood banks will be the first source of emergency food support for millions of Texans whose paychecks or federal benefits may not arrive as expected. This kind of disruption doesn\u2019t just affect individuals \u2014 it reverberates through entire communities, straining local resources and deepening hardship for those already struggling to make ends meet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many food banks are targeting distribution to areas with high concentrations of federal workers. Texans can find their nearest food bank with the Feeding Texas distribution tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cole said, \u201cAs we respond to this crisis, both public and private support will be absolutely essential to ensure no Texan goes hungry. Food banks are calling on community members, businesses, and elected leaders to come together and help our neighbors weather these difficult times.\u201d<\/p>\n

DoorDash waiving fees for SNAP recipients in November, delivering food bank donations <\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cSupport across sectors allows us to respond swiftly and compassionately, ensuring families have access to nutritious food when they need it most. As we enter the season of giving, it\u2019s a powerful time for Texans to show up for one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s a donation, a volunteer shift, or simply sharing resources, every action strengthens our collective response. Together, we can help Texans stay nourished and ensure those facing unexpected hardship have access to the resources they need to get through this crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeding Texas provides up-to-date information on how the government shutdown<\/a> is affecting hunger, locates resources, and explores ways to support hunger relief efforts.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TEXAS (KTAL\/KMSS) \u2014 Texas food banks are accelerating emergency response efforts to support families as the government shutdown…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23737,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[2248,1857,7951,8096,4842,27,29,28],"class_list":["post-23736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-food-banks","tag-government-shutdown","tag-snap","tag-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program","tag-texans","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}