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Tag: SNAP benefits

  • Need food? Here is a list of food drives in the Triangle

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    A recipient of the Emanuel Food Pantry at Durham Presbyterian Church, walks home with a box of groceries after visiting the weekly pantry on Roxboro Street on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 in Durham, N.C.

    A recipient of the Emanuel Food Pantry at Durham Presbyterian Church, walks home with a box of groceries after visiting the weekly pantry on Roxboro Street on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 in Durham, N.C.


    Robert Willett

    rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Community members and businesses are ramping up their efforts to help people who are set to lose their food assistance benefits in November.

    The federal government shutdown means more than 150,000 residents in the Triangle and more than 1 million people across the state will not receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

    Food pantries are already reporting more demand for food and more people looking for help.

    How to start a community food drive

    Anyone can hold a food drive in person or virtually with social media posts and online payment options. PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro offers these tips:

    • Pick a date and location. Food drives can happen in one day or last a week or more.
    • Let your local food pantry and neighbors know so they can spread the word.
    • Get ready by making yard signs, posters, stickers and other marketing materials. PORCH provides this Canva file that can be updated. Make sure to include a Venmo or other online payment method for cash donations. Some organizations also have shopping lists set up with Target and Amazon.
    • Check with your local food pantry for drop-off times and locations. Make sure to share with your neighbors how much food and money was raised to keep the momentum going.

    Wake County suggests using the “bumper crop” method. People are encouraged to place their food and toiletry items on their parked car bumper during a worship service, workday or community event to be gathered and delivered to a food pantry by volunteers.

    Some donations are better than others

    Most food pantries keep a list of items that are needed, but generally donate food that you would eat and that is not expired. Other tips:

    • Choose canned goods with pull-top lids or include a few can openers in your donation box.
    • Consider donating boxed milk and shelf-stable egg alternatives, such as applesauce, pumpkin puree, or commercial egg substitutes. Cake mix, macaroni and cheese, and similar items often can’t be used without them. 
    • Include a jar of sauce with every box of donated pasta.
    • Consider smaller portions of food, which can serve more families, cut down on waste, and also go to people who don’t have access to refrigeration or storage.
    • Protein is critical, so add some cans of tuna or salmon, chicken, nut butters, or beans. Families also may lack basics, including oil, flour, sugar and salt.
    • Families with specific dietary needs can struggle to find foods low in salt, sugar, or that are gluten-free.
    • Donate baby formula or diapers, as well as items to address personal hygiene needs, from soap, toothpaste and shampoo to feminine hygiene products.
    • Don’t forget the pets. Families that can’t buy food also can’t feed their dogs and cats.

    Find a food drive near you

    New food drives will be updated as they are sent to The News & Observer. Want to add a food drive? Email metroeds@newsobserver.com.

    Wake County Food Drives

    • The Bunny Hive Raleigh: The child play space will collect nonperishable food through Nov. 7 to support the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC at 711 W. Lane St., Raleigh.
    • Cornerstone North Raleigh: A community food drive will continue through Nov. 17 to benefit the Hope House in Wake Forest. The address is 3209 Gresham Lake Road, Suite 122, Raleigh.
    • Tap Yard Raleigh: A food drive will be held all month at Tap Yard Raleigh at 1610 Automotive Way, Raleigh. Nonperishable food can be dropped off 4 p.m. – midnight Monday through Friday and noon to midnight Saturday and Sunday.
    • The Hemp Store: The Hemp Store at 1002 Durham Road 1100 Wake Forest, and The Hemp Store at 5801 Farmwell Drive, Raleigh are collecting nonperishable food and household items Nov 1-30 to support local food banks and outreach programs. Visit thehempstorenc.com for hours.

    Durham County Food Drives

    • Durham County: Durham County employees can bring food to donate through Nov. 7.
    • Epworth United Methodist Church: A food drive will be held through Nov. 10 to support the Urban Ministries of Durham. The church is located at 3002 Hope Valley Road, Durham.

    Orange County Food Drives

    • Eno River Farmer’s Market: A food drive on Saturday will stock the Central Elementary School pantry in Hillsborough. Bring food and cash donations to the market pavilion at 106 E. Margaret Lane between 8 a.m. and noon. Click for a list of needs.
    • PORCH Hillsborough: Earth Yoga will host a Thanksgiving Food Drive to benefit PORCH at 3 p.m. Saturday at 437 Dimmocks Mill Road in Hillsborough. Donations can also be dropped off throughout the month of November from 3-6 p.m. Thursday and 8:30-11:30 a.m. Friday. Located in Suite 8 near the entrance to Eno River Brewery.
    • Double Bucks: Donations are needed to help local farmer’s markets in Orange and Durham counties continue their Double Bucks programs, which double a family’s money when they shop using SNAP benefits or cash. Stop by the market welcome table to make a donation.
    • Triangle Mutual Aid: An open house in MATCH’s new home (Mutual Aid Triangle Community Hub) will include a food drive from 5-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, at The ArtsCenter, 400 Roberson St. in Carrboro.
    • Orange Congregations in Mission: The Hillsborough Police Department is collecting nonperishable food, laundry detergent, and baby formula and diapers for OCIM’s food pantry. Drop off donations from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. through noon Nov. 7 at 127 N. Churton St. OCIM’s food pantry is at 300 Millstone Drive in Hillsborough. Donate online at ocimnc.org.
    • Inter-Faith Council for Social Services: Drop off food donations from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the loading dock (enter driveway between 201 and 203 W. Weaver St. in Carrboro). Holiday food drives happening now through Nov. 21 and Dec. 1-19.
    • TABLE Ministries: Food donations can be dropped off at TABLE, 311 E. Main St. in Carrboro, or explore other ways to help at tablenc.org/give-food.
    • PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro: Donate food and cash to the grassroots nonprofit through over 110 monthly neighborhood drives or find out more ways to help at chapelhill.porchcommunities.org/get-involved.
    • The Hemp Store: The Hemp Store at 115 E. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill is collecting nonperishable food and household items Nov 1-30 to support local food banks and outreach programs. Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
    • Saratoga Grill: Will donate 10% of sales to OCIM’s Food Pantry from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6. Customers can also donate nonperishable food items. Details at www.saratogagrillnc.com.
    • Orange High School: The OHS wrestling team will hold a food drive to fill the OCIM Food Pantry with nonperishable goods on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Drop off donations from 6-9 p.m. at Orange High School in Hillsborough. Click the link for more details.

    Tammy Grubb

    The News & Observer

    Tammy Grubb has written about Orange County’s politics, people and government since 2010. She is a UNC-Chapel Hill alumna and has lived and worked in the Triangle for over 30 years.

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    Staff

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  • With SNAP Benefit Freeze, Clevelanders Face Question of How to Feed Themselves, and Their Pets – Cleveland Scene

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    After a little more than two decades working as a software engineer, making well into the six figures and even owning his own company, Jay found himself unemployed and out of a job in January, a byproduct of AI.

    That began an era of loss. Job applications went unanswered. His savings dwindled while trying to keep up with his and his wife’s home in Brooklyn. He lost his car insurance. He forever gave up his confidence in the White House. “I voted for Trump,” Jay, 41, told Scene. “This is my fault.”

    By August, Jay’s pride fizzled. He needed help. He applied to the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, casually known as food stamps, and got approved for $759 a month, to feed himself, his wife and their three-year-old daughter. (They used the funds mostly on pasta and frozen meatballs.)

    Yet, in light of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s impending freeze on SNAP funds come Nov. 1, Jay now has another bundle of anxiety: How to feed his cat, Nebula, and his two dogs, Sandy and Jinx.

    “It costs a ton already,” Jay said in a phone call. “I can’t even say. I hunt down which of the dollar stores has the cheapest dog food and cat food. But it adds up; it’s not cheap.”

    Democrats and Republicans are currently, as of Friday, in a standstill as far what it will take to end what’s been so far the second-longest government shutdown in U.S. history, at 30 days and counting.

    Cities, counties and states are trying to make up at least some of the difference, but SNAP benefits are expensive, and more than 42 million Americans rely on them. In Cuyahoga County, there are some 190,000 reidents who need their EBT cards to keep pantries and refrigerators stocked.

    As of September, SNAP gives its receivers up to $297 a month per person, which amounts to $9 a day, or roughly $3 per meal. But throw two teenagers in the mix, maybe a border collie or two, a hamster and a goldfish, and those leaning on D.C. to keep them alive this fall are heading towards the previously unthinkable.

    “People are gonna have to make a choice, right?” Anne Konarski, a SNAP policy expert who studies hunger for a Cleveland nonprofit and owns three dogs, said. “Do you feed your kids or do you feed your pets?”

    In interviews with four local pet food pantries, all of them told Scene that they’ve strengthened their relationship with regional food banks and the Hunger Network, the largest food distributor in Cleveland, in the past year—both out of necessity and an empathy for pet owners that walk in on a routine basis.

    A routine that’s become more dire in the past week or so, as a subset of their clientele wonder how they’re going to make it to Thanksgiving while keeping their pets healthy and nourished to see December. Or, as some expressed to Scene, whether they might be forced to give them up to a local shelter, many of which are already at capacity and facing budget issues of their own, or let them loose on the street.

    Volunteers at Neighborhood Pets, a food pantry in Slavic Village, sorted out dried dog food to hand out to clientele on Thursday. Credit: Mark Oprea
    Taymar Ethington, a Slavic Village resident on SNAP, and her two boys at Neighborhood Pets. Credit: Mark Oprea

    “They can and will turn to animal shelters and say, ‘I can’t afford my pet anymore’,” Sharon Harvey, president of the Cleveland Animal Protective League, said. “Or, ‘If you can’t help me with what I need for my pet, can you take it and find it a new home?’”

    Harvey, like the others that bring in boxes of food, relies primarily on donations to bag and distribute food to pet owners. Times have gotten harder. Harvey helped dole out 17 tons of pet food last year; near the end of September, they had already sent out 20 tons in 2025.

    The same is true for Wayne Campbell, who’s been running Paws For Purpose’s pet food pantry in Lake County for the past five years.

    Donors haven’t been as reliable this year, he said. And as a result, PFP is in more need of supply (amid climbing grocery costs) and facing more demand.

    All while trying to keep true to PFP’s mission: keep pets out of and away from shelters.

    “I mean, we used to give out 80 bags of cat food, 80 bags of dog food with dry treats and canned food, and we’re up to about 160 now of each,” he said. “It’s just, you know, the need is getting greater and greater.”

    Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday signed an executive order providing $25 million in emergency relief in the face of the impending food disaster, with $7 million going to food banks and $18 million going to about 63,000 Ohioans directly. But it’s a small drop in the bucket. About $34 million would be needed to fully fund just Cuyahoga County’s portion of SNAP benefits for November.

    Cleveland and Cuyahoga County officials are convening Friday morning to announce what will be their proposal to help cover the gap left by the SNAP freeze. Leaders will, a press release read, “discuss the urgency of addressing the needs of Cuyahoga County residents.”

    As for their pets?

    Over in Slavic Village on Thursday afternoon, Becca Britton helped lug in boxes of canned tuna and dried dog food, kibbles her volunteers soon scooped into Ziploc bags and handed out to the dozen or so waiting in line in the lobby. (A quarter of which were on SNAP.)

    “It’s heartbreaking, even just right now,” Britton said, as her volunteers shuffled around her, some bagging pellets or tending to clientele. “We just don’t know. But I do think—sad as it is to say—that it’s going to get to the point where people are going to have to surrender their pets.”

    Close by was Taymar Ethington and her two boys, who stopped by Neighborhood Pets on Thursday to pick up food, toys and a leash for their puppy, Prince.

    Ethington, a single mom living at a nearby apartment building, said the up-in-the-air situation with SNAP has propelled her to extend her gathering outward: to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, to churches, to the Salvation Army. She even set up a pantry nook in her building to help out fellow SNAP receipients.

    “I’ve been stocking my pantry, filling up my deep freezer,” she told Scene, as her boys waited nearby. “Things like that. Filling up my canned goods.”

    As for Prince, Ethington said he’s going nowhere.

    “He’s just a little puppy,” she said. “He doesn’t cost too much to feed.”

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    Mark Oprea

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  • SNAP shutdown triggers emergency response across DC region – WTOP News

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    The D.C. region is trying to get ahead of the expected loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding this weekend due to the government shutdown.

    The D.C. region is trying to get ahead of the expected loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding this weekend due to the government shutdown.

    Funding for SNAP recipients runs out Saturday, so Maryland and Virginia have declared states of emergency. And as D.C. awaits news on lawsuits aimed at keeping the funding flowing, it’s turning to its backup plan to support its recipients of the program.

    Virginia

    In Virginia, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced, starting Saturday, the state will launch the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance initiative to fill the funding gap.

    “It is an extraordinary step for Virginia to provide food benefits in seven-day increments in November, but we must do so because Congressional Democrats are putting politics above people,” Youngkin said earlier this week.

    Under the program, people receiving SNAP as of Oct. 29 will automatically get Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance payments added to their existing EBT cards. Instead of receiving their full monthly benefit at once, recipients will get smaller payments every week in November.

    Youngkin said the program is funded by Virginia’s budget surplus and will continue through November, unless the federal government reopens and SNAP resumes.

    Maryland

    In Maryland, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore announced Thursday that a state of emergency will bring $10 million to the state’s food banks to help those in need. However, he has not committed to continuing SNAP payments on EBT cards.

    “There is no state that has the resources or the balance sheet to make up for when the federal government decides that they are no longer going to provide something that they are legally obligated to provide,” Moore said on Thursday.

    The governor also said the state’s rainy-day fund would not be used to supplement the SNAP program due to concerns about reimbursement.

    “I have no belief that the federal government is going to reimburse anybody for anything. I have no belief that the federal government is going to honor its promises,” Moore said.

    Counties and cities in Maryland have also announced plans to help residents through the funding gap.

    In Montgomery County, Council President Kate Stewart announced a $7.75 million support package. It includes $3.5 million in extra food assistance, $1.5 million in grants for nonprofits affected by canceled federal contracts, $750,000 for nonprofit capacity building, $1 million for short-term housing support, $500,000 for the Montgomery County Pride Center and $500,000 for economic development.

    The package will be formally introduced on Tuesday, with a public hearing scheduled Nov. 18.

    Despite the emergency funds, Stewart acknowledged the limitations.

    “We will not be able to replace all the funds that have been lost because of federal administrative policies,” she said.

    Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy’s office said the county plans to release more details on how the county is responding on Friday.

    ​The Bowie Interfaith Pantry and Emergency Fund provides prepackaged bags of food to approved area residents, and food assistance and emergency financial aid to other residents. Other local food banks are also providing services and aid.

    DC

    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said as the city follows a lawsuit that Attorney General Brian Schwalb, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and other states joined, the city is turning to its backup plan.

    Bowser said she has authorized the use of local funds to ensure residents on SNAP and WIC receive their November benefits. Bowser said about 85,000 households in D.C. receive SNAP, and more than 12,500 residents benefit from WIC. The city will use $29 million from its contingency cash reserve for SNAP and $1.5 million for WIC, including direct benefits and support services.

    “We were hopeful it wouldn’t come to this — and we still need the federal government to reopen as soon as possible — but for right now, we’re moving forward to ensure we take care of D.C. residents in November,” Bowser said in a news release.

    As for the lawsuit, a federal judge in Massachusetts heard arguments Thursday but at the time did not make a decision on whether to sign off on a temporary restraining order that would force the federal government to continue to fund SNAP.

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    Mike Murillo

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  • Denver grocery stores, shoppers brace for SNAP benefit freeze

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    DENVER — Many may know Denver’s Sun Valley neighborhood as home to Empower Field at Mile High, but it’s also a diverse and growing community, and one where access to fresh, healthy food has been limited.

    “It’s been a food desert,” said Annie Hancock, Denver Housing Authority’s director of resident and community connections. “[The] closest grocery store is about two miles away. A lot of our community members were shopping at the 7-Eleven up the street.”

    The neighborhood got a boost four years ago. Denver7 was there in September 2021 when Decatur Fresh — part of a Denver Housing Authority (DHA) project — first prepared to open its doors to give residents easier access to fresh produce.

    “Decatur Fresh and the Osage Cafe Mercado, they’re both operated as social enterprises under the nonprofit Youth Employment Academy,” explained Hancock, who is also executive director of the Youth Employment Academy. “These are nonprofit grocery stores. We are fundraising or grant writing to keep the store going, to keep the lights on.”

    As for Decatur Fresh specifically, Hancock said, “The neighborhood has been built around this store.”

    Denver7

    Decatur Fresh, adorned with Halloween decorations.

    “It’s not just a grocery store, it’s also a workforce development program,” Hancock added. “And so we hire from the community to ensure that we’re giving people in the neighborhood opportunities to work there and train them and upscale them for future job opportunities as well.”

    But with the government shutdown dragging on and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits set to run out this weekend, the store and the community will feel the strain.

    Double Up Food Bucks Colorado, a program that allows SNAP recipients to buy more fruits and vegetables, could also be affected.

    “Across both stores, 47% of our sales are through SNAP or through Double Up Food Bucks,” Hancock said. “And so it’s going to really hit these stores hard because that’s the community that we’re serving.”

    DHA said the stores will stay open, but could see fewer customers and order less food.

    Larger supermarkets could see the same impacts, but DHA wants the neighborhood stores to continue to be a beacon for neighbors in need.

    “A big part of that is going to be getting people in touch with the different organizations that help during Thanksgiving and during the holiday season to ensure that they’re able to bring food onto the table for the holidays, as well,” said Hancock, who also urged Coloradans to donate to local food banks as demand climbs.

    A shopper looks for food at Decatur Fresh.

    Denver7

    A shopper looks for food at Decatur Fresh.

    Coloradans in need of food assistance can check out the following resources:

    The governor’s office suggested Coloradans call 211 or (866) 760-5489 or visit the 211 Colorado website. There is also a list of resources through the Feeding Colorado website, or by email: info@feedingcolorado.org.

    Those looking for the most up-to-date information should click here.

    • Denver7 Gives has created a campaign to help Coloradans struggling with food insecurity. Click on the form below and select “Help Fight Food Insecurity“ to donate.

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    Ryan Fish

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  • Shutdown double whammy: SNAP food benefits ending and Md. federal workers go unpaid – WTOP News

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    Hundreds of furloughed federal workers in Hyattsville, Maryland, lined up for emergency food assistance amid a government shutdown that threatens SNAP benefits for millions. The Capital Area Food Bank and No Limits Outreach Ministries responded with expanded distributions, highlighting growing food insecurity and economic strain across the region.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    HYATTSVILLE, Maryland — Ginette Young lined up with hundreds of furloughed federal workers ahead of a special food bank distribution on Tuesday in a suburb just outside the District of Columbia.

    “I’m here because I’ve had no paycheck for the last two weeks, and a short paycheck for the two weeks prior. I’ve had to cover bills, and my credit cards have been paying my medical and doctor’s appointments. So I just need to restock the pantry a little bit, just to help get us over the hump,” said Young, a 61-year-old auditor for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    Young, a District resident, was among hundreds of furloughed federal workers hoping to get pantry staples and fresh produce at the event sponsored by the Capital Area Food Bank and No Limits Outreach Ministries in Hyattsville.

    Food security took center stage in the shutdown debate this week as hundreds of thousands of furloughed government workers faced another missed paycheck and 42 million recipients of federal food assistance were told they will stop receiving benefits Saturday.

    The Trump administration has said it will not tap emergency funds at the USDA to extend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, despite loud cries from advocates and Democrats who say it’s perfectly legal for officials to use the rainy day money.

    “The longer the shutdown continues, distributions like this will end up being truly a lifeline for so many,” said Radha Muthiah, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank.

    “And I worry that we’re just going to see double, triple the numbers of people, both federal government furloughed workers, as well as those who are expecting SNAP benefits and being surprised Saturday morning when they don’t have it,” Muthiah said.

    Food bank staff anticipated about 150 households would show up at its first distribution event for federal workers earlier in October. The organization had to quickly double its figures, Muthiah said.

    At Tuesday’s event, the food bank and No Limits Outreach Ministries brought enough to serve 400 households. Add a complete stop to food assistance to low-income families, and the region’s hunger needs will skyrocket, Muthiah said.

    “In our entire region, there are about 400,000 SNAP recipients, and on average, they receive about $330 in SNAP benefits for a family of two people a month. And so if that were to be disrupted at the cost of a meal in our region, that’s about 80 meals vanishing from the tables of SNAP recipients across our region,” Muthiah said.

    “So we are ramping up, purchasing more food to be able to distribute through our partners into the community.”

    Kale, collard greens handed out

    Tracy Bryce, 59, of District Heights, Maryland, unloaded kale and collard greens from the back of a U-Haul truck as hundreds of federal workers, with employment IDs in hand, waited for the noon distribution to open.

    Bryce, a retired U.S. Marshal of 34 years, now volunteers with No Limits Outreach Ministries.

    “I’ve been where they are,” Bryce said.

    Byron Ford, 34, of Hyattsville, sat for hours in a chair he brought that morning, as temperatures hovered in the high 40s.

    “I’m just here today trying to get some food, just trying to provide healthy food for the family,” said Ford, who has two children ages 4 and 7.

    “We’re fortunate that we have things like this to provide for people who aren’t receiving a paycheck. So we’re fortunate, we’re still blessed.”

    A civilian employee who works in finance for the Department of the Navy, Ford is also worried about family members who receive SNAP benefits.

    “We’re just spending our savings and trying to help,” he said.

    Young said she remembers what it was like to need SNAP several decades ago.

    “I was, you know, trying to work and go to college at the same time, and I had my kid, so yeah, I had SNAP for a little while. It’s meant to help people until they get on their feet,” she said.

    A furloughed government project manager who did not want to provide her full name for fear of losing her job, said “being a political pawn is hard.”

    “They (lawmakers) get the chance to go home in the middle of all this and not finish with the appropriations, not continue to walk through conversations, because they are choosing to dishonor the position that the people put them in and still get paid while their people suffer,” she said.

    Grocers, retailers worry over SNAP cutoff

    Retailers and grocers, already bracing for losses when Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” SNAP cuts take effect, are also urging lawmakers to reopen the government.

    “We urge Congress to move forward now on a path that reopens the government and ensures families relying on SNAP can access their November benefits without interruption or delay,” Jennifer Hatcher, The Food Industry Association’s chief public policy officer, said in a statement Oct. 21.

    The already planned SNAP cuts are slated to cost food retailers hundreds of millions of dollars, industry groups warned.

    Food retailers estimate up-front costs of forthcoming new SNAP requirements signed into law by President Donald Trump in July will cost convenience stores roughly $1 billion, supermarkets just over $305 million, supercenters such as Walmart an estimated $215.5 million and small-format stores about $11.8 million, according to an impact analysis last month by The Food Industry Association, the National Association of Convenience Stores and the National Grocers Association.

    Ed Bolen, director of SNAP State Strategies at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said retailers could face “very drastic” losses if SNAP is also completely stopped Nov. 1.

    “Just imagine a 100% cut for a month or so,” said Bolen, of the left-leaning think tank.

    The United Food and Commercial Workers union sent a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins Monday requesting the agency spend contingency funding to extend SNAP benefits beyond next week.

    “Rising costs at the grocery store already threaten household budgets, especially for low-income families. An interruption in food assistance will only make matters worse, and workers in meatpacking, food processing, and grocery could see a reduction in hours and wages if SNAP dollars aren’t available to be spent in their stores or on their products,” wrote Milton Jones, president of the union that, according to the organization, represents roughly 1.2 million workers.

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    Ciara Wells

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  • Walmart will not close to in-store shoppers on Nov. 1

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    Is Walmart, the biggest U.S. retail chain, closing to in-store shoppers starting Nov. 1?

    Viral videos on TikTok and Facebook shared that claim, saying Walmart is taking action ahead of an expected funding lapse for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides food assistance to low-income people. 

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, said benefits will stop Nov. 1, potentially cutting off about 42 million people from the program commonly known as food stamps.

    Walmart operates more than 4,500 U.S. stores, excluding Sam’s Club stores. A TikTok user said in an Oct. 22 video that Walmart will lock its doors and allow only online shopping and curbside pickup starting Nov. 1. The person in the video said the stores will reopen in January. The TikTok had 1.1 million views as of Oct. 29.

    Many of the posts shared on social media suggested that people had threatened to rob and loot Walmart stores, and that’s why the company would close to in-store shoppers. 

    The claims are false, Walmart spokesperson Rodrigo Santos Legaspi said in a phone call to PolitiFact. 

    We found no press releases, news reports, social media statements or announcements that Walmart will close Nov. 1. The retail chain promoted in-store Black Friday deals that begin Nov. 14 in an Oct. 27 press release. 

    SNAP shoppers patronized Walmart more than any other grocery retailer, with 94.4% of them buying from the store in the past year, according to September figures from the data company Numerator. SNAP shoppers’ Walmart purchases amounted to 26.1% of the group’s annual grocery spend, the highest among retailers.

    It is not clear where the rumor originated. The Oct. 22 TikTok video was one of the earliest iterations PolitiFact found, and since then, several videos with fake headlines and news reports have repeated the claim. 

    The rumor that Walmart is closing to in-store shoppers Nov. 1 is unfounded. We rate that Pants on Fire! ​

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  • Vance says troops will be paid as pressure builds on Congress to end the shutdown

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    Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday he believes U.S. military members will be paid at the end of the week, though he did not specify how the Trump administration will reconfigure funding as pain from the second-longest shutdown spreads nationwide.The funding fight in Washington gained new urgency this week as millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance, more federal workers miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports snarl travel plans.“We do think that we can continue paying the troops, at least for now,” Vance told reporters after lunch with Senate Republicans at the Capitol. “We’ve got food stamp benefits that are set to run out in a week. We’re trying to keep as much open as possible. We just need the Democrats to actually help us out.”The vice president reaffirmed Republicans’ strategy of trying to pick off a handful of Senate Democrats to vote for stopgap funding to reopen the government. But nearly a month into the shutdown, it hasn’t worked. Just before Vance’s visit, a Senate vote on legislation to reopen the government failed for the 13th time.Federal employee union calls for end to shutdownThe strain is building on Democratic lawmakers to end the impasse. That was magnified by the nation’s largest federal employee union, which on Monday called on Congress to immediately pass a funding bill and ensure workers receive full pay. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the two political parties have made their point.”It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship,” said Kelley, whose union carries considerable political weight with Democratic lawmakers.Still, Democratic senators, including those representing states with many federal workers, did not appear ready to back down. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said he was insisting on commitments from the White House to prevent the administration from mass firing more workers. Democrats also want Congress to extend subsidies for health plans under the Affordable Care Act.“We’ve got to get a deal with Donald Trump,” Kaine said.But shutdowns grow more painful the longer they go. Soon, with closures lasting a fourth full week as of Tuesday, millions of Americans are likely to experience the difficulties firsthand.“This week, more than any other week, the consequences become impossible to ignore,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, chair of the House Republican Conference.How will Trump administration reconfigure funds?The nation’s 1.3 million active duty service members were at risk of missing a paycheck on Friday. Earlier this month, the Trump administration ensured they were paid by shifting $8 billion from military research and development funds to make payroll. Vance did not say Tuesday how the Department of Defense will cover troop pay this time.Larger still, the Trump administration says funding will run out Friday for the food assistance program that is relied upon by 42 million Americans to supplement their grocery bills. The administration has rejected the use of more than $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits flowing into November. And it says states won’t be reimbursed if they temporarily cover the cost of benefits next month.A coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Massachusetts that aims to keep SNAP benefits flowing by compelling the Agriculture Department to use the SNAP contingency funds.Vance said that reconfiguring funds for various programs such as SNAP was like “trying to fit a square peg into a round hole with the budget.”The Agriculture Department says the contingency fund is intended to help respond to emergencies such as natural disasters. Democrats say the decision concerning the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, goes against the department’s previous guidance concerning its operations during a shutdown.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the administration made an intentional choice not to the fund SNAP in November, calling it an “act of cruelty.”Another program endangered by the shutdown is Head Start, with more than 130 preschool programs not getting federal grants on Saturday if the shutdown continues, according to the National Head Start Association. All told, more than 65,000 seats at Head Start programs across the country could be affected.Judge blocks firingsA federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday indefinitely barred the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown, saying that labor unions were likely to prevail on their claims that the cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated.U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts that was set to expire Wednesday.Federal agencies are enjoined from issuing layoff notices or acting on notices issued since the government shut down Oct. 1. Illston said that her order does not apply to notices sent before the shutdown.Will lawmakers find a solution?At the Capitol, congressional leaders mostly highlighted the challenges many Americans are facing as a result of the shutdown. But there was no movement toward negotiations as they attempted to lay blame on the other side of the political aisle.“Now government workers and every other American affected by this shutdown have become nothing more than pawns in the Democrats’ political games,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.The House passed a short-term continuing resolution on Sept. 19 to keep federal agencies funded. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has kept the House out of legislative session ever since, saying the solution is for Democrats to simply accept that bill.But the Senate has consistently fallen short of the 60 votes needed to advance that spending measure. Democrats insist that any bill to fund the government also address health care costs, namely the soaring health insurance premiums that millions of Americans will face next year under plans offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.Window-shopping for health plans delayedWhen asked about his strategy for ending the shutdown, Schumer said that millions of Americans will begin seeing on Saturday how much their health insurance is going up next year.“People in more than 30 states are going to be aghast, aghast when they see their bills,” Schumer said. “And they are going to cry out, and I believe there will be increased pressure on Republicans to negotiate.”The window for enrolling in ACA health plans begins Saturday. In past years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has allowed Americans to preview their health coverage options about a week before open enrollment. But, as of Tuesday, Healthcare.gov appeared to show 2025 health insurance plans and estimated prices, instead of next year’s options.Republicans insist they will not entertain negotiations on health care until the government reopens.“I’m particularly worried about premiums going up for working families,” said Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa. “So we’re going to have that conversation, but we’re not going to have it until the government opens.”___Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Joey Cappelletti in Washington and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

    WASHINGTON —

    Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday he believes U.S. military members will be paid at the end of the week, though he did not specify how the Trump administration will reconfigure funding as pain from the second-longest shutdown spreads nationwide.

    The funding fight in Washington gained new urgency this week as millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance, more federal workers miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports snarl travel plans.

    “We do think that we can continue paying the troops, at least for now,” Vance told reporters after lunch with Senate Republicans at the Capitol. “We’ve got food stamp benefits that are set to run out in a week. We’re trying to keep as much open as possible. We just need the Democrats to actually help us out.”

    The vice president reaffirmed Republicans’ strategy of trying to pick off a handful of Senate Democrats to vote for stopgap funding to reopen the government. But nearly a month into the shutdown, it hasn’t worked. Just before Vance’s visit, a Senate vote on legislation to reopen the government failed for the 13th time.

    Federal employee union calls for end to shutdown

    The strain is building on Democratic lawmakers to end the impasse. That was magnified by the nation’s largest federal employee union, which on Monday called on Congress to immediately pass a funding bill and ensure workers receive full pay. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the two political parties have made their point.

    “It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship,” said Kelley, whose union carries considerable political weight with Democratic lawmakers.

    Still, Democratic senators, including those representing states with many federal workers, did not appear ready to back down. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said he was insisting on commitments from the White House to prevent the administration from mass firing more workers. Democrats also want Congress to extend subsidies for health plans under the Affordable Care Act.

    “We’ve got to get a deal with Donald Trump,” Kaine said.

    But shutdowns grow more painful the longer they go. Soon, with closures lasting a fourth full week as of Tuesday, millions of Americans are likely to experience the difficulties firsthand.

    “This week, more than any other week, the consequences become impossible to ignore,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, chair of the House Republican Conference.

    How will Trump administration reconfigure funds?

    The nation’s 1.3 million active duty service members were at risk of missing a paycheck on Friday. Earlier this month, the Trump administration ensured they were paid by shifting $8 billion from military research and development funds to make payroll. Vance did not say Tuesday how the Department of Defense will cover troop pay this time.

    Larger still, the Trump administration says funding will run out Friday for the food assistance program that is relied upon by 42 million Americans to supplement their grocery bills. The administration has rejected the use of more than $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits flowing into November. And it says states won’t be reimbursed if they temporarily cover the cost of benefits next month.

    A coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Massachusetts that aims to keep SNAP benefits flowing by compelling the Agriculture Department to use the SNAP contingency funds.

    Vance said that reconfiguring funds for various programs such as SNAP was like “trying to fit a square peg into a round hole with the budget.”

    The Agriculture Department says the contingency fund is intended to help respond to emergencies such as natural disasters. Democrats say the decision concerning the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, goes against the department’s previous guidance concerning its operations during a shutdown.

    Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the administration made an intentional choice not to the fund SNAP in November, calling it an “act of cruelty.”

    Another program endangered by the shutdown is Head Start, with more than 130 preschool programs not getting federal grants on Saturday if the shutdown continues, according to the National Head Start Association. All told, more than 65,000 seats at Head Start programs across the country could be affected.

    Judge blocks firings

    A federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday indefinitely barred the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown, saying that labor unions were likely to prevail on their claims that the cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated.

    U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts that was set to expire Wednesday.

    Federal agencies are enjoined from issuing layoff notices or acting on notices issued since the government shut down Oct. 1. Illston said that her order does not apply to notices sent before the shutdown.

    Will lawmakers find a solution?

    At the Capitol, congressional leaders mostly highlighted the challenges many Americans are facing as a result of the shutdown. But there was no movement toward negotiations as they attempted to lay blame on the other side of the political aisle.

    “Now government workers and every other American affected by this shutdown have become nothing more than pawns in the Democrats’ political games,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

    The House passed a short-term continuing resolution on Sept. 19 to keep federal agencies funded. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has kept the House out of legislative session ever since, saying the solution is for Democrats to simply accept that bill.

    But the Senate has consistently fallen short of the 60 votes needed to advance that spending measure. Democrats insist that any bill to fund the government also address health care costs, namely the soaring health insurance premiums that millions of Americans will face next year under plans offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

    Window-shopping for health plans delayed

    When asked about his strategy for ending the shutdown, Schumer said that millions of Americans will begin seeing on Saturday how much their health insurance is going up next year.

    “People in more than 30 states are going to be aghast, aghast when they see their bills,” Schumer said. “And they are going to cry out, and I believe there will be increased pressure on Republicans to negotiate.”

    The window for enrolling in ACA health plans begins Saturday. In past years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has allowed Americans to preview their health coverage options about a week before open enrollment. But, as of Tuesday, Healthcare.gov appeared to show 2025 health insurance plans and estimated prices, instead of next year’s options.

    Republicans insist they will not entertain negotiations on health care until the government reopens.

    “I’m particularly worried about premiums going up for working families,” said Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa. “So we’re going to have that conversation, but we’re not going to have it until the government opens.”

    ___

    Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Joey Cappelletti in Washington and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

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  • What to know as federal food help and preschool aid will run dry Saturday if shutdown persists – WTOP News

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    A new lawsuit by Democratic state officials Tuesday seeks to uncork emergency money to help tens of millions of Americans keep buying food for their families after federal SNAP funding is expected to run dry Saturday due to the U.S. government shutdown.

    Groceries are displayed on a counter in Bellflower, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. Student and legal advocacy groups are petitioning the U.S. Department of Agriculture to lift the interview requirement for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants to receive food aid. SNAP helps low-income families supplement their budgets so they can buy groceries, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages. An estimated 42 million Americans currently receive the benefits at an average of $212 per person or $401 per household. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)(AP/Allison Dinner)

    A new lawsuit by Democratic state officials Tuesday seeks to uncork emergency money to help tens of millions of Americans keep buying food for their families after federal SNAP funding is expected to run dry Saturday due to the U.S. government shutdown.

    The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries. A halt to SNAP benefits would leave a gaping hole in the country’s safety net. Vulnerable families could see federal money dry up soon for some other programs, as well.

    Funding for a group of Head Start preschool programs is set to run out Saturday.

    Aid for mothers to care for their newborns through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, could run out the following week.

    Here’s a look at what would happen.

    Democratic officials sue

    Tuesday’s legal filing from attorneys general from 22 states and the District of Columbia, plus three governors, focuses on a federal contingency fund with roughly $5 billion in it – enough to pay for the benefits for more than half a month.

    President Donald Trump’s Department of Agriculture said in September that its plan for a shutdown included using the money to keep SNAP running. But in a memo last week, it said that it couldn’t legally use that money for such a purpose.

    The Democratic officials contend the administration is legally required to keep benefits going as long as it has funding.

    The agency said debit cards beneficiaries use as part of SNAP to buy groceries will not be reloaded as of Nov. 1.

    With their own coalition, 19 Republican state attorneys general sent Democratic U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a letter Tuesday urging passage of a “clean continuing resolution” to keep funding SNAP benefits.

    Lack of funds for SNAP benefits could affect millions

    Most SNAP participants are families with children, more than 1 in 3 include older adults or someone with a disability, and close to 2 in 5 are households where someone is employed. Most have incomes that put them below the poverty line, about $32,000 in income for a family of four, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

    The average monthly benefit is $187 per person.

    Beneficiaries say that without the aid, they’ll be forced to choose between buying food and paying other bills. Food banks are preparing for a spike in demand that they’ll have to navigate with decreased federal aid themselves.

    The debit cards are recharged in slightly different ways in each state. Not everyone receives their benefits on the first day of the month, though many beneficiaries get them early in the month.

    States expect retailers will be able to accept cards with balances on them, even if they’re not replenished.

    Some states seeking to fill void of SNAP benefit cuts

    State governments controlled by both Democrats and Republicans are scrambling to help recipients. But several say they don’t have the technical ability to fund the regular benefits.

    Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia have pledged to provide some type of backup food aid for recipients even while the shutdown stalls the federal program, though state-level details haven’t been announced.

    More funding for food banks and pantries is planned in states including New Hampshire, Minnesota, California, New Mexico, Connecticut and New York.

    The USDA advised Friday that states won’t be reimbursed for funding the benefits.

    Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced Tuesday that the state is opening a nonprofit fund typically used for disasters to give grants to food banks. But the fund is empty and will need immediate donations. Last year, it raised $6 million for Hurricane Helene relief. Each month, more than $100 million in SNAP benefits are delivered in South Carolina.

    In Pennsylvania, where a budget stalemate has held up more than $25 million in aid to food banks, Democratic lawmakers are pushing for $60 million in emergency aid for food banks and meals on wheels programs.

    The Trump administration is blaming Democrats, who say they will not agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans say Democrats must first agree to reopen the government before negotiation.

    Early childhood education

    More than 130 Head Start preschool programs won’t receive their annual federal grants on Nov. 1 if the government remains shut down, according to the National Head Start Association.

    Centers are scrambling to assess how long they can stay open, since nearly all their funding is federal. Head Start provides education and child care for the nation’s neediest preschoolers. When a center closes, families may have to miss work or school.

    With new grants on hold, a half dozen Head Start programs have already missed federal disbursements they were expecting Oct. 1 but have stayed open with fast-dwindling reserves or with help from local governments. All told, more than 65,000 seats at Head Start programs across the country could be affected.

    Food aid for mothers and young children

    Another food aid program supporting millions of low-income mothers and young children already received an infusion to keep the program open through the end of October, but even that money is set to run out early next month.

    The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children helps more than 6 million low-income mothers, young children and expectant parents purchase nutritious staples such as fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk and infant formula.

    The program, known as WIC, risked running out of money in October because of the shutdown. The Trump administration reassigned $300 million keep the program afloat. But it was only enough for a few weeks.

    Now, states say they could run out of WIC money as early as Nov. 8.

    ___

    Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey. Contributors include Jeffrey Collins in West Columbia, South Carolina, and Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska.

    ___

    This version corrects the day of the South Carolina governor’s announcement to Tuesday.

    Copyright
    © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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  • ‘Everyone is doing well’: President Trump praises economy amid layoffs, potential SNAP crisis

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    ‘Everyone is doing well’: President Trump praises economy amid layoffs, potential SNAP crisis

    President Trump promotes economic prosperity during his visit to Japan, while layoffs and a federal shutdown threaten millions back in the U.S.

    Updated: 3:03 PM PDT Oct 28, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ


    White House Correspondent

    President Donald Trump is promoting Japanese companies investing $550 billion in the United States while visiting the East Asian country. The president said the funds would be “at my direction” as part of a trade framework secured with Japan. The president also boasted about the U.S. economy, despite contrasting economic challenges.”Well, everyone in our country is now doing well. My first term, we built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We had an economy like nobody has seen before now. We’re doing it again, but this time, actually, it’s going to be much bigger, much stronger,” Trump said.The president highlighted the stock market reaching all-time highs, but economists point to other indicators that tell a different story. Amazon announced it is cutting 14,000 jobs, UPS is eliminating roughly 48,000 positions and closing more than 90 buildings as part of a turnaround plan, and Target, Ford, and GM have also announced layoffs amid slowing demand. Additionally, the federal government shutdown threatens food aid benefits for more than 40 million Americans as soon as Nov. 1, and September’s CPI data showed prices are rising again just as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to support the economy.”I don’t really understand the optimism to be perfectly honest, and I’m a very optimistic, very little of a ‘doomer’ person. We’ve had seven months in a row of contractions and manufacturing output. The labor market cooled to such an extent that it forced the Fed to cut rates in September,” said Jai Kedia from the Cato Institute.President Trump is preparing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid the ongoing U.S.–China trade war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two countries have reached a “very successful framework” ahead of their summit, covering tariffs, rare-earth exports and large U.S. agricultural purchases.Meanwhile, 26 states and Washington, D.C., are suing the USDA, arguing the agency has contingency funds that could be used to maintain SNAP benefits during the shutdown. In a memo, the USDA stated that those funds can only be used for a natural disaster or other emergency, not to operate during a shutdown, and placed the blame on Senate Democrats, saying, “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. Continue to hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.” The states argue the law requires the USDA to issue benefits as long as money is available.It comes after another failed vote occurred today in the Senate. A federal judge in San Francisco has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. This move comes as a lawsuit challenges recent job cuts in education, health, and other areas.For more coverage from the Washington News Bureau here:

    WASHINGTON —

    President Donald Trump is promoting Japanese companies investing $550 billion in the United States while visiting the East Asian country. The president said the funds would be “at my direction” as part of a trade framework secured with Japan.

    The president also boasted about the U.S. economy, despite contrasting economic challenges.

    “Well, everyone in our country is now doing well. My first term, we built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We had an economy like nobody has seen before now. We’re doing it again, but this time, actually, it’s going to be much bigger, much stronger,” Trump said.

    The president highlighted the stock market reaching all-time highs, but economists point to other indicators that tell a different story.

    Amazon announced it is cutting 14,000 jobs, UPS is eliminating roughly 48,000 positions and closing more than 90 buildings as part of a turnaround plan, and Target, Ford, and GM have also announced layoffs amid slowing demand.

    Additionally, the federal government shutdown threatens food aid benefits for more than 40 million Americans as soon as Nov. 1, and September’s CPI data showed prices are rising again just as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to support the economy.

    “I don’t really understand the optimism to be perfectly honest, and I’m a very optimistic, very little of a ‘doomer’ person. We’ve had seven months in a row of contractions and manufacturing output. The labor market cooled to such an extent that it forced the Fed to cut rates in September,” said Jai Kedia from the Cato Institute.

    President Trump is preparing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid the ongoing U.S.–China trade war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two countries have reached a “very successful framework” ahead of their summit, covering tariffs, rare-earth exports and large U.S. agricultural purchases.

    Meanwhile, 26 states and Washington, D.C., are suing the USDA, arguing the agency has contingency funds that could be used to maintain SNAP benefits during the shutdown.

    In a memo, the USDA stated that those funds can only be used for a natural disaster or other emergency, not to operate during a shutdown, and placed the blame on Senate Democrats, saying, “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. Continue to hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.”

    The states argue the law requires the USDA to issue benefits as long as money is available.

    It comes after another failed vote occurred today in the Senate. A federal judge in San Francisco has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. This move comes as a lawsuit challenges recent job cuts in education, health, and other areas.

    For more coverage from the Washington News Bureau here:

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  • Is Walmart closing Nov. 1 as SNAP benefits run out for millions? What to know

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    As SNAP benefits run out for November, rumors circulate that Walmart will close its doors.

    As SNAP benefits run out for November, rumors circulate that Walmart will close its doors.

    Photo by Zack Yeo on Unsplash.

    As the government shutdown continues, millions of people will lose SNAP benefits in November. With that comes social media chatter about store closures; but is it true?

    The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, is set to “run dry” Nov. 1, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    As millions of Americans prepare for the loss of food assistance right before the holidays, online rumors circulated that Walmart will be closing its doors as a direct effect.

    One TikTok video, masked as a news story, said Walmart was halting in-person shopping to “avoid possible disorder” and in an attempt to prevent “chaos before it starts.”

    Other individuals have taken to social media, spreading the message that Walmart will close and urging people to prepare.

    One TikTok user posted a video that got over 1 million views with the caption; “Breaking news just in — Walmart said not today, baby! November 1st, they locking them doors like Fort Knox. You can order online, but don’t even think about stepping inside!”

    The truth

    A Walmart spokesperson told McClatchy News on Oct. 28 that the rumors are not true and Walmart has no plans to close and will remain open as usual.

    Digging into the rumors, Snopes found several sources that may have contributed to the origin of the rumors, including social media posts and vague news headlines.

    Despite the misinformation spreading online regarding the closing of Walmart, it is true that millions of Americans are preparing for the impact of not receiving their expected food assistance.

    Although the USDA has roughly $5 to $6 billion in a contingency fund designated for emergency scenarios, it is not enough to cover the $8 billion in SNAP benefits set to go out in November, according to the Hill.

    Just as well, the USDA said in a memo, it legally cannot use the fund to cover regular benefits.

    “SNAP contingency funds are only available to supplement regular monthly benefits when amounts have been appropriated for, but are insufficient to cover, benefits. The contingency fund is not available to support FY 2026 regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists,” the memo said.

    It goes on to say, “the contingency fund is a source of funds for contingencies, such as the Disaster SNAP program, which provides food purchasing benefits for individuals in disaster areas, including natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, that can come on quickly and without notice.”

    Jennifer Rodriguez

    mcclatchy-newsroom

    Jennifer Rodriguez is a McClatchy National Real-Time reporter covering the Central and Midwest regions. She joined McClatchy in 2023 after covering local news in Youngstown, Ohio, for over six years. Jennifer has made several achievements in her journalism career, including receiving the Robert R. Hare Award in English, the Emerging Leader Justice and Equality Award, the Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and the Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award.

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  • SNAP benefits update: bill to help fund SNAP in November gets boost 

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    Eleven Republicans and one Democrat have joined Republican Missouri Senator Josh Hawley’s proposal to provide funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as the ongoing government shutdown risks interrupting the program next month.

    Why It Matters

    SNAP is funded by the federal government through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Each year, Congress must pass a budget or a temporary funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, to give the USDA authority to spend money on the program. Once funding is approved, the USDA distributes money to state agencies, which in turn issue monthly benefits to participants through electronic benefit transfer cards.

    If Congress fails to pass a funding bill, the USDA can only rely on money that was previously approved. When those funds run out, it cannot issue new SNAP payments until Congress authorizes more funding. This means SNAP benefits for 42 million low- and no-income beneficiaries nationwide will not be delivered indefinitely if the government shutdown continues.

    What To Know

    Hawley’s bill, the Keep SNAP Funded Act, would ensure that the USDA can keep paying SNAP benefits, even when Congress hasn’t passed a new budget or temporary funding bill.

    It would also cover any missed SNAP payments dating back to September 30, 2025 and remain in effect until Congress approves full or temporary funding for the 2026 fiscal year.

    The bill is sponsored by Republican Senators James Lankford (Oklahoma), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee), Bernie Moreno (Ohio), Kevin Cramer (North Dakota), Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), Katie Britt (Alabama), Jon Husted (Ohio), and John Cornyn (Texas). Senator Peter Welch (Vermont) is the only Democrat in the Senate to co-sponsor the bill. 

    Writing in The New York Times, Hawley said there is “no reason any of these residents of my state—or any other American who qualifies for food assistance—should go hungry.”

    “We can afford to provide the help. Preventing debilitating poverty through the food program costs only about a 10th of our annual defense budget. Of course, aid should be limited to those who truly need it. But there is no cause, and no excuse, to deny aid to the poor entirely.

    What People Are Saying

    Senator Hawley said: Congress can still pass legislation during a shutdown, and it should pass my bill to keep SNAP benefits going. 

    Senator Moreno said: “I’m proud to team up with my Republican colleagues to protect SNAP since Democrats won’t.”

    Senator Welch said: “I’m working across the aisle because a lapse in federal nutrition assistance would hurt more than 41 million Americans—from Vermont to Missouri, and beyond. The Keep SNAP Funded Act is a common sense, bipartisan bill. I urge Senate leadership to bring this bill to the floor, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it. If the Trump Administration refuses to use the money it has to fund the program during this shutdown, Congress must step in.” 

    What Happens Next

    The bill has been referred to the Senate committee on appropriations.

    Are you a SNAP recipient worried about not getting benefits in November? How do you feel about the ongoing government shutdown? Get in touch at a.higham@newsweek.com

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  • Trump administration posts notice that no federal food aid will go out Nov. 1

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    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out on November 1, raising the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown drags on.

    The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November. That program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.

    “Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA notice says. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”

    The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is now the second-longest on record. While the Republican administration took steps leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid this month, the cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to a wider swath of Americans – and some of those most in need – unless a political resolution is found in just a few days.

    The administration blames Democrats, who say they will not agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans say Democrats must first agree to reopen the government before negotiations.

    Democratic lawmakers have written to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins requesting to use contingency funds to cover the bulk of next month’s benefits.

    But a USDA memo that surfaced Friday says “contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits.” The document says the money is reserved for things like helping people in disaster areas.

    It cited a storm named Melissa, which has strengthened into a major hurricane, as an example of why it’s important to have the money available to mobilize quickly in the event of a disaster.

    The prospect of families not receiving food aid has deeply concerned states run by both parties.

    Some states have pledged to keep SNAP benefits flowing even if the federal program halts payments, but there are questions about whether U.S. government directives may allow that to happen. The USDA memo also says states would not be reimbursed for temporarily picking up the cost.

    Other states are telling SNAP recipients to be ready for the benefits to stop. Arkansas and Oklahoma, for example, are advising recipients to identify food pantries and other groups that help with food.

    Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., accused Republicans and Trump of not agreeing to negotiate.

    “The reality is, if they sat down to try to negotiate, we could probably come up with something pretty quickly,” Murphy said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We could open up the government on Tuesday or Wednesday, and there wouldn’t be any crisis in the food stamp program.”

    Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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  • Trump administration won’t tap contingency fund to keep food aid flowing, memo says

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    WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is rejecting the idea of using roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep food aid flowing into November amid the government shutdown, according to a Department of Agriculture memo that surfaced Friday. States temporarily covering the cost of benefits next month will not be reimbursed, the memo says.

    Democratic lawmakers and various advocacy groups have been calling on the administration to use the contingency fund to provide partial benefits into November though the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP.

    But the two-page document states that “contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits.”

    The prospect of SNAP benefits running out as a result of the shutdown has become a major concern in the states. Lawmakers from both political parties are blaming the other for the hardship that would ensue. The program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.

    The document states that the contingency fund is reserved for such things as helping individuals in disaster areas. It cited Tropical Storm Melissa, which could become a major hurricane in the coming days, as an example of why it’s important to have funds available to mobilize quickly in the event of a disaster. The document was obtained by The Associated Press and was first reported by Axios.

    SEE ALSO | Nearly 2 million Illinoisans set to lose SNAP benefits amid congressional stalemate

    The document blames Democrats for the government shutdown that began Oct. 1 and states that November SNAP benefits would be paid on time “if not for Congressional Democrats blocking government funding.”

    House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries earlier Friday told reporters the administration has the resources to ensure than not a single American goes hungry on Nov. 1. He accused Republicans of “trying to weaponize hunger” and called it unconscionable. In a statement later Friday he said it would be a “disgusting dereliction of duty” to halt the food assistance.

    Meanwhile, Democrats in the House and Senate have written Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins requesting that she use the contingency fund to cover the bulk of November benefits.

    “Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people,” said a letter sent Friday by 214 House Democrats.

    The latest department guidance on the contingency fund appears to contrast in some respects with the department’s 55-page plan for operations in the event of a shutdown. That plan stated that it’s evident Congress has intended for SNAP operations to continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds to cover state administrative expenses and to pay for participant benefits should a funding lapse occur in the middle of the fiscal year.

    The department guidance that surfaced Friday says the contingency fund is not available to support the current budget year’s benefits because “the appropriations for regular benefits no longer exists.”

    The shutdown began when a short-term measure to fund the government failed to advance in the Senate. The current impasse is now the second-longest on record. The administration took steps leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid in October, with states and lawmakers looking for guidance from the administration for what would happen next month.

    The SNAP program is administered by the states. Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia pledged Thursday to keep food aid flowing to recipients in their states, even if the federal program is stalled because of the shutdown. Other states have explored using their own funds to prop up the program but have run into technical roadblocks.

    Some states have been telling SNAP recipients to be ready for the benefits to stop. Arkansas, for example, is advising recipients to identify food pantries and other groups that might be able to help, and to ask friends and family for aid.

    Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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  • The Salvation Army Aurora sees 100% increase in demand as SNAP recipients prepare to miss November benefits

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    AURORA, Colo. — The Salvation Army Aurora saw a 100% increase in demand this week as SNAP recipients prepare to go without their November benefits due to the ongoing government shutdown.

    Denver7 has been listening to community concerns all week over the uncertainty surrounding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps low-income families purchase food. The program feeds about 600,000 Coloradans each month, half of whom are children.

    Read our previous coverage below:

    On Friday, Denver7 visited The Salvation Army Aurora Corps, where normally stocked shelves are now visibly bare.

    “It’s insane to see what we’re seeing right now,” said executive director Carl Esquivel. “The desperation is real.”

    Denver7

    The pantry typically serves 60 to 80 families per day, but demand has doubled this week.

    “We are already depleting resources all the way to December,” Esquivel said. “This is our attempt of getting the story out there that food pantries, not just ours, but many even smaller food pantries, right, are struggling to be able to meet the needs of our community.”

    State officials demand federal action

    As the government shutdown continues, attorneys general across the country, including Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser, are raising concerns about the situation.

    “There’s a lot on the line,” said Weiser. “We should be doing everything we can to provide food, and that’s not what the Agriculture Department is doing here. They’re doing the opposite.”

    Weiser and 22 other attorneys general sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Friday, demanding clarity on how the USDA plans to proceed after notifying states that funding for SNAP may lapse soon due to the government shutdown.

    Weiser said the USDA should tap into its $6 billion contingency fund to cover benefits for November.

    “I’m at a loss,” Weiser told Denver7. “I’m pained by what’s happening. I’m demanding answers.”

    How you can help

    The Salvation Army is asking for donations of canned and dry goods. You can drop off your donations at the following locations:

    Aurora Corps 

    • Address: 802 Quari Court in Aurora
    • Food donations may be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
    • The food pantry is open 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

    Denver Citadel Corps

    • Address: 4505 W. Alameda Avenue in Denver
    • Food donations may be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
    • The food pantry is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

    Centennial Corps

    • Address: 3900 E. Arapahoe Road in Centennial
    • Food donations may be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays.
    • The food pantry is open 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays.

    The Salvation Army said the following food items are needed:

    • Soup
    • Corn
    • Green beans
    • Black beans
    • Tuna
    • Chili
    • Spaghetti
    • Rotini
    • Macaroni
    • Linguine
    • Rice
    • Cereal

    Denver7 Gives has launched a campaign to help those struggling with food insecurity amid the government shutdown. To donate, use the form below and select “Help Fight Food Insecurity” from the drop-down menu.

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  • Nonprofit food program in Md. worries about growing need as government shutdown continues – WTOP News

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    Montgomery County officials have said SNAP benefits could run out if the government shutdown doesn’t end, and that’s putting strain on food pantries, such as Manna Food Center.

    Every month, more than 680,000 Marylanders, including 270,000 children, receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits.

    As the government shutdown wears on, those benefits, roughly $180 a month, have an expiration date.

    “If the shutdown does not end by the end of this month and the Trump Administration does not act to tap into existing contingency funding as required by law, benefits will be paused starting November 1st. This means new SNAP benefits will no longer be deposited on EBT cards for customers to help feed their family,” the Maryland Department of Human Services said in a news release.

    In Montgomery County, more than 68,000 residents are SNAP beneficiaries; 29,566 of those recipients are children.

    Craig Rice, CEO of Manna Food Center, a nonprofit in Montgomery County that feeds between 5,000 to 6,000 people each month, says without funding for SNAP, “that puts tremendous strain on food assistance providers throughout the state, throughout this nation, that are really struggling and trying to figure things out right now.”

    Rice said the government shutdown, coupled with the mass layoffs of federal workers, has prompted an influx of people asking for help.

    “One of the saddest things we saw just last Friday were two uniformed service members who came to our doors asking for food assistance,” he said. “Those are the kinds of things that we’ve never seen before.”

    Manna Food Center, Rice said, is not intended to be a family’s primary source of food.

    “When it comes to SNAP versus food bank benefits, we’re only supposed to be a small part of that equation,” Rice said.

    The need for food assistance was already an ongoing issue in Montgomery County, where Manna provides food pantries at more than 60 schools, according to Rice. He said that was the case before the layoffs, federal shutdown and increased grocery prices that many families are seeing.

    Rice, who’s served on the Montgomery County Council and as a state delegate in Annapolis, said the economic pressures are the worst he’s seen — even accounting for the economic downturn in 2008.

    “We have so many things that are happening all at the same time,” he said.

    Citing high grocery prices, job cuts and the impact of tariffs on local businesses, Rice said, “This is cutting across all different sectors, and I think that’s where this time is a little different.”

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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  • Nearly 3.5 million Texans will lose food stamps next month if shutdown persists

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    The U.S. Capitol building on Feb. 11, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

    The U.S. Capitol building on Feb. 11, 2024, in Washington, D.C.


    Samuel Corum

    Getty Images/TNS

    Nearly 3.47 million Texans will go without food assistance next month if the federal government shutdown continues past Monday.

    Texas Health and Human Services announced that Texans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for help buying groceries will not receive their benefits if the shutdown continues past Oct. 27.

    “SNAP has funding available for benefits and operations through the month of October,” according to a letter written by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to state agencies. “However, if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation.”

    The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1.

    In 2024, there were 3.47 million Texans who received help buying groceries through SNAP, or 11% of the state population. In Tarrant County, there are 82,000 households that receive SNAP benefits, or almost 11% of the county’s population.

    Benefits provided by other programs, like WIC, TANF, Medicaid and CHIP, are not affected by the government shutdown, according to Texas Health and Human Services.

    Ciara McCarthy

    Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Ciara McCarthy covers health and wellness as part of the Star-Telegram’s Crossroads Lab. She came to Fort Worth after three years in Victoria, Texas, where she worked at the Victoria Advocate. Ciara is focused on equipping people and communities with information they need to make decisions about their lives and well-being. Please reach out with your questions about public health or the health care system. Email cmccarthy@star-telegram.com or call or text 817-203-4391.

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  • Nearly 2 million Illinois residents will lose SNAP benefits next month if federal shutdown continues, officials warn

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    Nearly 2 million Illinoisans will be cut off from food stamps next month if the federal government remains shut down, threatening “a vital lifeline to nutrition,” the Illinois Department of Human Services announced this week. 

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture informed states that it won’t fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP or food stamps, starting Nov. 1 unless there’s an end to the weeks-long government shutdown, IDHS said in a Thursday news release.

    What a federal government shutdown means for Illinois

    SNAP provides low-income people with prepaid cards that they can use to purchase groceries. Benefits have continued through October. 

    Illinois would lose the $350 million it administers to 1.9 million recipients across the state. The state “does not have the budgetary ability to backfill these critical resources,” IDHS said. 

    “SNAP is a proven, time-tested program, one that protects children and families from going hungry,” said Dulce M. Quintero, IDHS Secretary. “The federal government needs to ensure families receive their benefits on November 1, so their livelihoods are not disrupted.” ​

    Gov. JB Pritzker pointed the finger at President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who he said are jeopardizing food assistance that goes to working families because they “want to score political points and refuse to reach a deal that reopens the federal government.” 

    “Why is it that they can find the money during a shutdown to pay their masked federal agents wreaking havoc in our communities but not help people in need put food on the table,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Trump promised to lower costs but that’s not happening — the very least they could do is preserve SNAP access for low-income families struggling to feed their kids.”

    “One child going hungry in America is one too many — this used to be a value we could all agree upon,” Pritzker added. “The Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans need to do their damn job and start delivering for the American people.”

    The Greater Chicago Food Depository said earlier this month that it is “gravely concerned that a prolonged shutdown could significantly increase hunger and hardship for millions across the U.S.” The longer the shutdown goes on, the greater the risk for the millions who rely on public food assistance, the statement said. 

    “We continue to urge elected leaders to reopen the government and fund critical safety net programs that address poverty and hunger,” the food depository said. Food pantries across Chicago have reported an “extraordinary demand” for food assistance in recent years as food prices climbed.  

    Across Illinois, about 45% of SNAP benefits go to households with children, and 44% have a person with a disability, according to IDHS. The average monthly SNAP benefit is $370, the department said. 

    Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said a disruption in SNAP benefits could also impact grocers who are “already struggling to keep their doors open.” 

    “The elimination of this vital support puts entire communities at risk of losing access to fresh and healthy food,” Karr said. 

    The ongoing shutdown — which is primarily centered around debate on health care spending — began Oct. 1 and currently has no end in sight. Many federal workers in Illinois have been furloughed and Chicago’s federal court operations have been disrupted, among other impacts. 

    Besides the shutdown, other changes could also soon cut access to SNAP. Trump signed into law earlier this year a sweeping Republican domestic package that expanded work requirements for SNAP benefits to previously exempt groups such as adults ages 55 to 64.

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  • Montgomery Co. continues to hedge against potential cuts to federal grants – WTOP News

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    As federal funding remains uncertain, local leaders in Montgomery County emphasize the importance of maintaining the social safety net and preparing for potential budget impacts.

    There are a lot of people in Montgomery County who face economic uncertainty — and that was the case even before the federal government shutdown.

    Heather Bruskin leads the county’s office on food systems resilience and told county council members at a meeting on Tuesday, “In our population of a million residents, about 35% of our households live below the self-sufficiency standard meaning they don’t have enough income to cover their basic cost of living which includes putting food on the table for their families.”

    The good news, she said, is that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, program is fully funded through the month of October.

    “Within that population, about 10% of our population lives below the SNAP threshold. They’re income eligible for programs like SNAP at 130% of the federal poverty level,” Bruskin said.

    A lot of programs that deal with health and human services, public safety and transportation are paid for in part with federal grants, and Raphael Murphy, with the county’s Office of Grants management told the council, that could lead to uncertainty in the county’s budget process.

    “So much is still up in the air,” Murphy said. “The White House continues to issue new directives, new executive orders, new policy statements on almost a daily basis.”

    “There’s no evidence yet that Montgomery County is being targeted in any way. We just see broad cuts to programs that help our residents being reduced,” Murphy added.

    He said his office has been diligent about compliance and meeting deadlines to prevent any losses of grant funding.

    County Council member Andrew Friedson said he was “sobered” by the testimony from Bruskin and Murphy: “The reality is the impact on the social safety net is beyond alarming.”

    Looking ahead, Council member Evan Glass said, “Thankfully, we do have fiscal stewardship that has afforded us to have a rainy-day fund, and we will have to have very tough conversations moving forward about how we ensure our social safety net is strong using those funds.”

    Council member Gabe Albornoz said the county will continue to hedge against any further cuts.

    “I want our public to know this is all hands on deck,” he said. “We’ve been through crises before — we have. The recession, COVID, now this. We’ll get through this, we just have to remain on the same page.”

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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  • How the federal government shutdown could impact NC school meals, SNAP benefits

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    The federal government says it has about three months of money on hand to reimburse schools for their meal expenses.

    The federal government says it has about three months of money on hand to reimburse schools for their meal expenses.


    Travis Long

    tlong@newsobserver.com

    RALEIGH

    A prolonged federal government shutdown could make it harder for North Carolina families already facing food stamp cuts to get their benefits and school meals.

    Federal officials are warning that if the shutdown continues past October, it could impact services such as how much families get in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and school meal services. The shutdown impact looms after federal food assistance cuts were put into law over the summer in the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

    “Like everybody else, we hope that the shutdown does not go for an extended period of time,” Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor said at a press conference Monday at Oak Grove Elementary School in Raleigh. “But that is the unpredictability about what that shutdown means and how it impacts various programs.”

    Local and state leaders, farmers and advocacy groups held a Child Nutrition Roundtable Monday at Oak Grove to mark National School Lunch Week and Farm To School Month. Roundtable attendees urged state lawmakers to provide $4.4 million to fund summer nutrition programs and buy produce from farmers to provide to schools.

    ’Insufficient funds’ for full SNAP benefits

    The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1 after Congress was unable to agree on a plan to keep the government running. Republicans and Democrats have pointed the blame at each other for the shutdown.

    The Trump administration has warned states there are “insufficient funds’ to pay full SNAP benefits for 42 million people if the government shutdown runs past October, Axios reported. States were told not to load electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards for November for SNAP recipients “until further notice.”

    In North Carolina, 1.4 million people “rely on SNAP to help put nutritious and healthy food on the table,” according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

    “Food and nutrition are foundational to good health and people should not have to worry about their families and communities going hungry” NC DHHS Secretary Dev Sangvai said in a press release last week. “NCDHHS hopes for a quick resolution to the federal shutdown to ensure people in North Carolina are not at risk of losing critical food benefits.”

    Some families who are eligible for SNAP benefits aren’t applying due to the shutdown, according to Abby Emanuelson, executive director of the North Carolina Alliance for Health.

    Funds for 3 months of school meals

    An extended government shutdown could impact school meal programs.

    Public schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program are reimbursed by the federal government. The U.S. department of Agriculture has told the Council of Chief State School Officers that the agency typically has funding on hand for three months of school meals following a shutdown.

    In an Oct. 1 memo to North Carolina schools, State Superintendent Mo Green said the Department of Agriculture is unlikely to issue any guidance on school meals until closer to that three-month mark.

    “In response, our School Nutrition Office has taken proactive steps to secure funding to cover your September meals (typically reimbursed after October 10),” Green said. “Should the shutdown continue after these funds are exhausted, there may be delays in processing your October claims (which are normally reimbursed after November 10).”

    If the shutdown become protracted, schools may have to reduce their meal services.

    Taylor, the Wake superintendent, said Monday they don’t have specific data yet on when the district’s school meal program might run into trouble. In recent years, Wake has cited rising costs for raising school meal prices.

    Fewer students could get free school meals

    The shutdown worries come after the “One Big Beautiful Bill” President Donald Trump signed into law July 4 called for $186 billion in SNAP cuts by 2035.

    Families will face tighter eligibility requirements to receive SNAP benefits. Additionally, receiving SNAP will no longer automatically result in receiving free school meals.

    SNAP recipients will have to fill out paperwork to send to their child’s school to continue to get free school meals.

    Up to 850,000 North Carolina children may no longer qualify for free or reduced price meals due to the SNAP changes, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

    The eligibility changes could result in many North Carolina schools no longer qualifying for a federal program that provides free school breakfasts and lunches to all their students.

    “The federal shutdown, the impending cost shift to the states for SNAP is is a big concern to us, because it’s going to have such a ripple effect on school meals,” Emanuelson of the North Carolina Alliance for Health said in an interview.

    Programs will ‘help hungry kids’

    Attendees at Monday’s Child Nutrition Roundtable said state lawmakers can help mitigate the impact of federal funding cuts by providing $2.5 million to fund the Farm to School program and $1.9 million for the Sun Bucks programs.

    Kim Shaw, owner of Small City Farm in Charlotte, says the farm is being negatively impacted by USDA grant cuts under the Trump Administration. These cuts impact the farms ability to do business and harms programs that provide produce to food banks, local schools and more. Shaw was photographed spreading compost, watering seedlings and tending to her egg-laying hens, that she says love collard greens. at the farm on Apr. 3.
    Kim Shaw, owner of Small City Farm in Charlotte, says the farm is being negatively impacted by USDA grant cuts under the Trump Administration. These cuts impact the farms ability to do business and harms programs that provide produce to food banks, local schools and more. Shaw was photographed spreading compost, watering seedlings and tending to her egg-laying hens, that she says love collard greens. at the farm on Apr. 3. John D. Simmons For the Observer

    In March, the USDA slashed more than $1 billion from its Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools programs which allowed schools, child care centers and states to buy food directly from local farmers, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

    Advocates of the Farm To School program said a a small investment of $2.5 million in state funds will help farmers financially to continue to provide healthy produce to North Carolina schools. Under the Farm to School program, Tidewater Grain Company in Pamlico County provides products such as rice to Wake County and other North Carolina school systems.

    “Having hungry kids fuels no purpose for any party, no matter which side of the aisle you’re on,” said Tommy Wheeler, founder of Tidewater Grain Company “And putting money into our local economies is always good business.”

    Advocates say providing $1.9 million to continue the SUN Bucks program will help ensure students don’t go hungry in the summer when school is out. The program allows parents to get $120 per child to buy groceries during the summer, The News & Observer previously reported.

    They’re asking for a small and reasonable amount of money, according to Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, a Wake County Democrat.

    “These are programs that have been proven to work, that are going to help hungry kids,” Chaudhuri said. “You know, at the end of the day, I guess kids don’t have a lobbyist lobby on their behalf.

    “I feel like we’re trying to do something that each of us know from our own personal and professional experience, and so I’m trying to stay optimistic that we can try to get those dollars and put them to work to help feed the kids.”

    This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 5:04 PM.

    Related Stories from Charlotte Observer

    T. Keung Hui

    The News & Observer

    T. Keung Hui has covered K-12 education for the News & Observer since 1999, helping parents, students, school employees and the community understand the vital role education plays in North Carolina. His primary focus is Wake County, but he also covers statewide education issues.

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  • Four ways the government shutdown could impact Texas

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    This collection of Star-Telegram stories explores the impact of the federal government shutdown on Texas through various sectors like education, nutrition programs, Social Security, and airport operations.


    NO. 1: TEXAS SCHOOLS COULD FACE CHALLENGES DUE TO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. HERE’S WHY

    Schools in Texas and nationwide could see dire consequences if the shutdown of the federal government stretches beyond a few days, education policy experts warn. | Published September 30, 2025 | Read Full Story by Silas Allen



    An American Airlines airplane taxis to a runway at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. By Amanda McCoy

    NO. 2: WILL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IMPACT DFW AIRPORT OR DALLAS LOVE FIELD? WHAT TO KNOW

    North Texas’ two largest airports do not expect any impacts on flight operations amid the government shutdown. | Published October 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Brayden Garcia



    Volunteers are critical to Tarrant Area Food Bank’s mission of fighting hunger across North Texas. Here, Patti Callahan, right, fills a grocery bag for a food giveaway at 4Saints Episcopal Food Pantry on May 29, 2020, at St. Luke’s in the Meadow Episcopal Church in Fort Worth. By Yffy Yossifor

    NO. 3: WILL TEXANS STILL GET SNAP BENEFITS DURING THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN? WHAT TO KNOW

    Another federal government shutdown has begun after lawmakers in Washington failed to reach a deal on funding. | Published October 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Tiffani Jackson



    The Federal Bank Reserve declares that banks close during certain national holidays.

    NO. 4: WILL TEXANS GET SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS DURING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN? WHAT TO KNOW

    For millions of Texans, Social Security is more than just a monthly benefit — it’s the money that keeps the lights on, covers prescriptions and helps pay for groceries. | Published October 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Tiffani Jackson

    The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

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