Houston Food Bank partners with local agencies to help those losing food assistance due to government shutdown

As the federal government shutdown drags on, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is set to pause its benefits for the month of November, leaving hundreds of thousands of low-income families and individuals in the Houston area without valuable resources to purchase food. 

Along with the pause of SNAP benefits, the 50,000 federal workers in Houston are also finding themselves in dire need as they continue to go without a paycheck during the shutdown. 

“In our area, there are about 425,000 households who rely upon SNAP every month to help them make ends meet,” Brian Greene, Houston Food Bank President and CEO, said at an Oct. 28 press conference. “The way Texas does it, they don’t load all the cards on the same day; they spread it out over the first 28 days out of the month.”

The Houston Food Bank, along with other food distribution sites such as Bethel’s Heavenly Hands, are aiming to provide food to about 15,000 federal workers and SNAP recipients per week, starting Oct. 29. These super site donations are scheduled to happen twice a week, and most will require pre-registration. To learn more about when these are scheduled for, visit here.

“For every one meal that the Houston Food Bank provides, SNAP provides nine, to demonstrate that need and that scale,” Amanda McMillian, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Houston, said at the Oct. 28 press conference.

Despite being the largest food bank in the country, Houston Food Bank is urging those who can to donate their time, money, or food provisions to help with their efforts.

“There is no cavalry coming this time,” Greene said.

H-E-B also donated $5 million to Texas food banks, and another $1 million to Meals on Wheels to help with the crisis.