FORT WORTH, Texas — Food pantries across North Texas are experiencing an overwhelming surge in demand as the government shutdown leaves people without SNAP benefits and thousands of federal workers without paychecks.
Arlington Charities reported 170 new applications in a single day as families scrambled to secure food assistance. The dramatic increase comes as November SNAP payments failed to arrive for recipients like Tammi O’Brien, a fully disabled North Texas resident.
“It’s not a matter of being able to work and not wanting to work,” O’Brien said. “A lot of people that are disabled want to work.”…