North Carolina donates $10 million to food assistance programs amid potential SNAP cuts, lawsuit

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — As millions of North Carolinians prepare to potentially lose food assistance in November due to the federal government shutdown, the state government has made a large monetary donation to food banks across the state.

According to a news release from the governor’s office, the State of North Carolina is donating $10 million to food banks across the state. In addition to the state, several other organizations have made donations to food banks and other means forms of preventing food insecurity.

These organizations, according to the governor’s office, include:

• AmeriHealth Caritas: $5 million
• David & Nicole Tepper Foundation: Accelerating more than $2.5 million to food banks across North and South Carolina to provide immediate access to funds for food purchases.
• Duke Energy Foundation: $100,000
• Bank of America: $100,000
• Delaware North and Catawba Two Kings Casino: $50,000
• Nucor Steel: $50,000
• UNC Health Foundation & UNC Horizons: $30,000
• The Fresh Market: $25,000
• Eastern Ministerial Alliance: $20,000
• Smithfield Foods: $20,000
• AdventHealth: $19,000
• Compare Foods: $10,000
• Lending Tree: $7,500
• Smart Food Foundation: 10,000 pounds of food

“With the help of generous partners, North Carolina is taking action to keep families fed,” Governor Josh Stein said. “Shoring up our state’s food banks will serve as a critical, but fleeting, lifeline for families in need, and I hope other North Carolina organizations will also step up in this time of need. Whether it’s paying our military, ensuring no child goes hungry, or lowering health care costs, leaders in Washington need to come together immediately to find a bipartisan solution that provides long-term stability for millions of Americans.”

The donation announcement comes on the even of the 30th day of the federal government shutdown, with neither Republicans — who control the House of Representatives, the Senate and the presidency — nor Democrats backing down on their reasoning for the shutdown.

Democrats are standing firm on their argument that the Affordable Care Act subsidies being extended, in order to counter a spike in healthcare rates for millions of Americans. Meanwhile, Republicans are insistent on passing a “clean” continuing resolutions first, in order to fund the government and open back up. Then, according to Republicans, negotiations about the subsidies can begin.

If the government does not open by Friday, SNAP benefits will run out, leaving millions without food assistance.

While there are emergency funds available, in a notice sent to state agencies, the USDA said those funds will not be used to fund SNAP if the shutdown continues into November month. The department’s reasoning for this is the contingency only comes into effect when the money allotted for SNAP benefits runs out, and regular benefit funding no longer exists in this situation.

“SNAP contingency funds are only available to supplement regular monthly benefits when amounts have been appropriated for, but are insufficient to cover, benefits,” the notice reads. “The contingency fund is not available to support FY 2026 regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists.”

The end of SNAP benefits to families is something Jason Kanawati Stephany, the Vice President of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, said could lead to a breaking point for the food assistance network in the Tar Heel State.

“This could push our hunger relief network to a breaking point,” Kanawati Stephany said. “We are expecting if the support is withheld starting November 1^st, that we’re going to see a significant increase in the number of people seeking emergency food assistance through our network, and that’s on top of the challenges we were already facing.”

In North Carolina, around 1.4 million families rely on that assistance. It is one of the reasons North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined the lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture.

Jackson said 600,000 children in North Carolina, more than 40,000 of whom are under 18 months old, will be affected if that money isn’t handed over to the state. He also said the department could be using the reserve funding meant to keep the food rolling out, but they’re not touching that money.

“Nearly 600,000 children in our state could be without food in a few days because USDA is playing an illegal game of shutdown politics,” Jackson said in a statement. “They have emergency money to help feed children during this shutdown, and they’re refusing to spend it. I warned them last week that I would take them to court if they tried to hurt our kids. Today, that’s what we’re doing.”

A list of food assistance available around the Triangle, and how a way to find assistance outside of the Triangle, is available here.