East Texas Food Bank braces for higher demand after SNAP cuts

TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) – Between persistent inflation and a government shutdown that has left workers furloughed or even laid off, many families are having to make tough choices when it comes to cutting their expenses. This is why the East Texas Food Bank (ETFB) says it has been seeing more people seeking help lately.

“I walked through one of our resource centers the other day, and in five minutes, there were five families in there who said, ‘Hey, I’ve never been here before. How does this work?” says East Texas Food Bank CEO, David Emerson.

Now, unless the federal government reopens or emergency funding is allocated, Texas Health and Human Services will not be issuing SNAP benefits starting on November 1st.

“Last Thursday (Oct. 23rd), when we kind of saw this coming, we ordered four more truckloads of food, an additional $200,000. This morning I’ve ordered six more truckloads of food. So we’re up to 10 more truckloads of food, and about $600,000 is what we’re spending for that,” says Emerson.

According to data compiled by Feeding Texas, in Bowie County alone, nearly 15,000 people participate in the SNAP program, roughly half of whom are under 18. This is the reality in most East Texas counties.

“Over half, in all of my counties, of the people on SNAP are people who really don’t have the ability to work, or the opportunity to work,” says Emerson.

The East Texas Food Bank says that, between the food already in warehouses and the extra shipments, they are prepared to pick up the slack left by the supplemental program —at least for now.

“If the shutdown runs real long, then obviously there comes a point that we’re going to be making an appeal to the generosity of these Texans to say, ‘hey, we need help feeding our neighbors,'” says Emerson.

ETFB is trying to secure Texas Surplus Agricultural Products grant funding to cover the cost of the food they are now forced to buy until. Visit their website to find a local food pantry.