This Saturday, the federal food assistance program will cease payments to millions of Americans. The program, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), also referred to as food stamps, was in danger of interruption with the continuing governmental shutdown.
The USDA, which oversees the program, stated last week that if Congress did not resolve its shutdown by Monday, Oct. 27, then the SNAP benefits would halt, effective Saturday, Nov. 1. The government has been in a shutdown for nearly a month, as the Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been gridlocked over government funding.
This disruption in benefits will affect 3.5 million low-income Texans, who number among the 40 million Americans who receive benefits through the program each month.
Those 3.5 million Texans include 1.7 million children. According to 2022 statistics (the most recent year on file) from the U.S Census Bureau, 3,248 Tyler County residents receive SNAP benefits.
Other programs such as Medicaid and CHIP are unaffected by the shutdown, but SNAP benefits are contingent on federal appropriations. Of that funding, Texas receives more than $614 million monthly that is distributed to beneficiaries. In a news release from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the agency stated that it is monitoring those programs for any changes.
According to statistics, Texas has one of the highest rates of food insecurity, nationwide, with one in six households affected, or around 17% of the overall population (5.4 million residents). Factors contributing to that include low wages and rising costs of living.
The Deep East Texas region is especially affected by the food insecurity issue, with Tyler, Jasper and Newton counties having some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the state.
The looming benefits loss has hit many families hard, including elderly and disabled individuals. An in-home healthcare provider, Jessica*, spoke to the Booster about a patient whom she described as “terrified” about losing benefits.
The patient, she said is on disability, and receives nearly $200 each month in SNAP benefits. Her other income only covers other living expenses, said Jessica.
“She is panicking because she was already cutting corners to begin with,” Jessica said. “We’ve been going over cheaper meals her stomach can tolerate, but there’s only so much she can eat,” she added.
Texas is one of eight states that is impacted by the shutdown regarding SNAP benefits. This occurs because other states have funds reserved to make the benefits last longer in times of crisis. The East Texas Food Bank, which services the region, has expanded its emergency food distributions, however, it has warned that its efforts cannot fully substitute for the federal support of the SNAP program.
With the SNAP loss, many food banks in the region are scrambling to meet the need, and some companies, organizations and churches are doing what they can to meet the inevitable need.
On Friday, San Antonio-based grocer H-E-B announced a $6 million donations package, with $5 million going to Texas food banks and one million of that into the Meals on Wheels program.
“At H-E-B, we are passionate about taking care of Texans,” said Winell Herron, the company’s senior vice president of public affairs, diversity and environmental affairs.
At present, many Texas families are foreseeing a November much like Jessica has told her patient about. “Right now the plan is, well, we don’t have one to be honest. I’ve never made a tuna casserole a day in my life… but we’re about to wind it and hope for the best,” she said.
* Name withheld at interviewee's request
Food banks in Tyler County
Monday, Wednesday and Frdayi: 9 – 11 a.m.
409-283-5800
Second and fourth Fridays: 9 – 11 a.m.
713-907-7494
Second Thursday each month: 8 a.m.–12 p.m.
(409) 781-9785
Tuesdays 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.; third Saturday 8 – 10 a.m.
409-201-8293
first Saturday 10 a.m.–12 p.m.; third Friday 2 – 4 p.m.
(409) 679-2615
Third Saturday 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
912-656-3139
