Aransas County is giving up to $100K to Rockport-Fulton Good Samaritans as demand grows and more families turn to the pantry for support.<\/p>\n
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas \u2014 As millions of Americans continue to recover from food insecurity following the government shutdown, Aransas County leaders said they are stepping in to help.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Free diabetes education program returns to Coastal Bend Food Bank, includes cooking and nutrition courses<\/a><\/p>\n County commissioners approved up to $100,000 in emergency funding for the Rockport-Fulton Good Samaritans<\/a>. The money comes from the county’s\u00a0health care sales tax fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n County Judge Ray Garza said the decision was not made lightly, and that the community\u2019s needs made it clear action was necessary.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn’t know when the government was going to come back up and people were going to be able to buy food,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Garza added that while not everyone in Aransas County lives under the same circumstances, many families are having to stretch what little they have.<\/p>\n \u201cAransas 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Stefany Simmons, executive director of the Rockport-Fulton Good Samaritans, said the additional funding will make a huge difference for their operations.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Simmons said as the holiday season picks up, she and her team are already seeing the need grow.<\/p>\n \u201c500 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n