Federal Shutdown Threatens SNAP; Food Banks Brace

A federal funding standoff and partial government shutdown has put programs such as Head Start and SNAP at risk, with the USDA warning SNAP funding could run out in days and roughly 42 million people potentially affected. Several states have halted new SNAP applications and local food banks report rising strain, mobilizing extra resources to meet surging demand. In Pennsylvania, Marine veteran Emanuel Canchola and nearly two million residents face losing benefits on Nov. 1 and are turning to pantries such as the Meadville Food Pantry and the Center for Family Services, which expect dramatic increases in clients. The East Texas Food Bank has scheduled Thanksgiving and Christmas distributions on Nov. 24 and Dec. 1 to help fill the gap. In New York, the Regional Food Bank Hudson Valley is planning a one-day distribution of 115,000 Thanksgiving meals to serve more than 25,000 people across five counties, noting that federal spending cuts eliminated millions of pounds of food to the region.