What does SNAP stand for? Food assistance program set to be disrupted by government shutdown

(KRON) — With the government shutdown that began on Oct. 1 about to enter its second month, dozens of government programs are already being impact with further disruptions on the horizon. With holiday travel just around the corner, flights are being delayed as air traffic controllers work without pay.

Government workers are going without paychecks and Americans are getting a glimpse of skyrocketing health care insurance costs.

While quiet talks to end the shutdown are reportedly underway, the shutdown is not expected to end before Saturday’s deadline, meaning SNAP benefits — the program that provides low-income families with food assistance — could lapse.

What are SNAP benefits?

SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The government program provides benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budgets so they can afford nutritious food. The program has already seen significant cuts under the Trump administration.

Last summer, when President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” was signed into law, it delivered the most substantial cut ever to the program, with some 2.4 million people projected to be kicked off the program.

With the shutdown ongoing, the White House has moved money around to ensure the military is paid, but it has refused to tap funds for food aid, meaning tens of thousands of people across the Bay Area could be without vital food assistance by weekend’s end.

In California, SNAP is known as CalFresh.

Companies, restaurants stepping up to help

With SNAP benefits set to be disrupted, local restaurants and major companies are stepping up to help families who are impacted. Instacart said Friday that it will offer customers who receive SNAP benefits 50% off on their grocery order.

DoorDash, the food delivery service based in San Francisco, said it will waive service and delivery fees for an estimated 300,000 orders for SNAP recipients in November. DoorDash also announced that grocery companies including Sprouts, Dollar General, Giant Eagle, Stop & Shop, Winn-Dixie, BJ’s Wholesale Club and ShopRite are partnering with the delivery service to cut fees.

Several local Bay Area restaurants are also offering free or discounted meals for SNAP recipients, including:

• Joe’s Pho in San Leandro
• Devil’s Teeth Baking Company in San Francisco
• Tacos El Patron in San Francisco and Pleasant Hill

Bay Area food banks

Food banks around the Bay Area are also stepping up to help feed impacted families, including:

• San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
• Alameda County Food Bank
• Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano
• Community Action of Napa Valley Food Bank
• Redwood Empire Food Bank

On Friday, two judges could rule on whether the Trump administration must replenish SNAP benefits, despite the government shutdown. About one in eight Americans are dependent on the program for buying groceries.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.