Millions of Texans are facing a gap in food assistance during the current government shutdown. Austin-area food pantries, restaurants, and other organizations are stepping up, and they’ll need help from locals to keep it going.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 10 percent of Texas households receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In Travis County, nearly six percent of households received SNAP benefits in the past 12 months. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, those benefits will pause starting November 1 due to the shutdown.
On Friday, October 31, two federal judges ordered the Trump Administration to use its emergency reserves to fund the SNAP program during the shutdown. However, the Associated Press says there is no guarantee that the administration will follow through with the ruling. At minimum, benefits will be delayed, and any hiccups with resuming SNAP assistance for Americans nationwide will still impact more than 3.4 million Texans (of whom 1.7 million are children)…