Houston Food Bank to Host Large-Scale Distributions for Families Impacted by Government Shutdown and SNAP Cancellation
Nutritious food for federal workers and SNAP recipients, 15,000 households per week
HOUSTON … As the federal government shutdown entered its fourth week and cancellation of November SNAP benefits was confirmed, Houston Food Bank (HFB) announced today the launch of a series of large-scale food distributions to help seniors, kids, families and veterans get much-needed food assistance.
Beginning November 1, HFB along with community partners will hold several large-scale distributions across our service area, providing approximately 15,000 households per week – specifically federal workers and SNAP recipients – with nutritious foods including protein, produce, dairy and carbohydrates.
“This is not about politics, it’s about people,” says Brian Greene, president/CEO of Houston Food Bank. “We’re ensuring families impacted by the government shutdown have access to nutritious foods while also protecting the stability of Houston Food Bank’s regular network. Our goal is to respond quickly, efficiently and with dignity for those in need of assistance, some whom have never needed it before.”
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.
For these special distributions, federal employees and SNAP recipients must register in advance. Distribution locations and a registration form can be found at HoustonFoodBank.org/crisisresponse or call 211 for more information.
Partnering with Houston Food Bank on these special distributions are the Houston Texans, Bethel’s Heavenly Hands, Catholic Charities Mamie George, Heart and Hands of Baytown, Community Faith Church, and West Houston Assistance Ministries.
These special distributions are supplemental to the ongoing assistance available via Houston Food Bank’s 1,600 partner agencies across 18 counties which remain open to help the community.
“We’re proud to support the Houston Food Bank to help our neighbors across our region find the food assistance they need in this difficult time,” said Amanda McMillian, president and CEO, United Way of Greater Houston. “The 211 Texas/United Way HELPLINE is available 24/7 to help our neighbors connect to food distribution sites or other basic needs.
“In addition to funding half of 211’s operations, United Way invests $7.4 million in basic needs annually, including $2.3 million for food assistance, to help families cover the basics so they can focus on the future. We are grateful to our incredible network of partners who help make this work possible every day. United is the way to help our neighbors overcome this challenge, and not just land on their feet but stay there.”
Houston Food Bank hoped the shutdown would be resolved quickly but as it has continued, many food banks are already responding to a spike in demand from families directly affected — including federal employees and SNAP recipients — to bridge the gap and maintain access to healthy food during this period of uncertainty. “The shutdown underscores a larger truth: that food insecurity is not just about emergencies, it’s about everyday resilience,” says Greene. “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.”
The longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the ripple effect will be not just on food banks but on housing, utilities and healthcare systems as well. Houston Food Bank will continue to address today’s hunger while preparing for what might be next. Houston Food Bank and its partners are working hand-in-hand with Feeding Texas and Feeding America to share real-time data and ensure equitable food allocation across regions.
“While we are confident in our readiness, we are also realistic that demand could outpace our normal supply the longer the shutdown continues, so to sustain this expanded effort, we will need the help of the community more than ever,” says Greene. “Donate if you can, volunteer if you are able, and be an advocate and share accurate information when possible. Every dollar donated to Houston Food Bank provides three meals, and every volunteer hour helps us get food out to the community quickly and efficiently.
“We’ve weathered crises before — hurricanes, pandemics, and now the shutdown,” adds Greene. “Each time, we pivot to meet the need and the generous Houston community always steps up in amazing ways to support us and those we serve. We want to our neighbors to know they are not alone, we are here for them.”
Community members can continue to access HFB’s regular network of partner pantries at www.houstonfoodbank.org/find-help/find-food or by calling 211.
About Houston Food Bank
Serving Houston and southeast Texas since 1982, Houston Food Bank’s mission is to provide food for better lives. We provide access to 120 million nutritious meals in 18 counties through our 1,600 community partners of food pantries, soup kitchens, social service providers and schools. Filling gaps on plates, we have a strong focus on healthy foods and fresh produce. In collaboration with our community, we advocate for policy change and racial equity, and promote dialogue on ways to increase access to food and to improve the lives of those in our communities, including services and connections to programs that address the root causes of hunger and are aimed at helping families achieve long-term stability: nutrition education, health management and help with securing state-funded assistance. We are a resource for individuals and families in times of hardship. Houston Food Bank works alongside our partner food banks in Montgomery County, Galveston County and Brazos Valley. Houston Food Bank is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the 13th consecutive year.
Website houstonfoodbank.org; Social media: @houstonfoodbank (Instagram and X), @thehoustonfoodbank (Facebook)