Houston Food Bank to help 15,000 families weekly who are impacted by SNAP cuts, government shutdown
Starting on Nov. 1, the food bank will launch several food distribution sites across Houston, providing food to 15,000 federal workers and SNAP recipients each week. The distributions will include protein, produce, dairy and carbohydrates.
Houston Food Bank is stepping up in a major way to help families who will be impacted by federal aid, including SNAP benefits being cut from thousands of Houston area families this weekend.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, provides monthly benefits to help families afford groceries. That money comes from the USDA, and because of the government shutdown continuing, benefits will stop for millions nationwide, including those hundreds of thousands right here.
This weekend, Texas Health and Human Services told KPRC 2 that “SNAP benefits for November won’t be issued if the federal government shutdown continues past Oct. 27.”
Now, the Houston Food Bank is stepping up its efforts. On Tuesday, the food bank is announcing an expanded food distribution activation to help Houstonians in need.
Starting on Nov. 1, the food bank will launch several food distribution sites across Houston, providing food to 15,000 federal workers and SNAP recipients each week. The distributions will include protein, produce, dairy and carbohydrates.
On Tuesday, the food bank will provide details about the food distribution, screening criteria, and how the community can help.
Click2Houston will live stream the event starting at 10:30 a.m.
Also, starting on Tuesday, KPRC 2 News is partnering with the Houston Food Bank by donating non-perishable food items.
Starting at 12 p.m. on the 28th, KPRC 2 will begin collecting items at our station located at 8181 Southwest Freeway. You can either drop off items in person or contribute financially by donating directly to the Houston Food Bank’s website.
Full statement from President and CEO of the Houston Food Bank, Brian Greene:
As the federal government shutdown enters its fourth week and cancellation of November SNAP benefits was confirmed, Houston Food Bank and our community partners as well as food banks across the country are committed to meeting immediate needs while continuing long-term work to build food security and economic stability.
We are working on plans to help those directly impacted by the government shutdown – federal employees who have already been missing paychecks and SNAP recipients who are losing assistance to purchase groceries at local retailers – and will announce these tomorrow.
The shutdown’s impact is big in Texas. The Lone Star State is one of the largest SNAP states in the nation, and Houston is home to a high concentration of federal and contract employees.
In Houston Food Bank’s 18-county service area alone, more than 425,000 households will be left without much-needed SNAP benefits to help buy groceries; and more than 55,000 federal and military workers are already missing paychecks.
While food banks work hard to provide food assistance to families in need, they cannot fully make up the gap left by a SNAP disruption. SNAP provides nine meals for every one meal that food banks provide, so even a short disruption creates a huge strain on charitable systems.
Our goal is to respond quickly, efficiently and with dignity for those in need of assistance, some whom have never needed it before.
As always, those in need of assistance can find out agency locator map at HoustonFoodBank.org or call 211.
