DALLAS (NewsNation) — Until the government fully reopens, the timeline for SNAP benefits remains uncertain, leaving 42 million Americans unsure where they’ll get their next distribution of food assistance.
Across the country, local food banks and community organizations are stepping up to fill the gap left by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Over the weekend in Dallas, hundreds lined up at places like The Stewpot and Catholic Charities of Dallas for emergency food assistance.
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In McKinney, about 30 miles north of Dallas, the nonprofit Baby Booties Diaper Bank distributed more than 24,000 diapers to nearly 500 families in one of its busiest events since the pandemic.
Organizers said they’re bracing for another surge as Thanksgiving approaches, especially with SNAP funding still tied up in court.
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A tentative deal to reopen the government would fund SNAP and end the ongoing legal battle over payments to recipients.
An appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to continue funding SNAP during the shutdown. The White House now has until Tuesday to appeal the decision, after the Department of Agriculture warned states could face penalties if they don’t reverse payments already sent.
For the tens of millions of Americans who rely on SNAP benefits, relief can’t come soon enough. Payments could resume as early as this week, though they remain on hold at least through Tuesday night.
Last week, a federal judge ordered the administration to use $4.6 billion in emergency funds to cover this month’s SNAP benefits. However, the administration pushed back, arguing it would exceed its budget authority and drain money from other programs.
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That ruling was paused by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, pending the latest appeals court decision.
Now, the Trump administration could appeal again, prolonging the uncertainty for Americans like Heather Penny, a Texas mother of three, including a son with special needs, who says she’s running out of options.
“I don’t know what to do because we’re already struggling,” Penny said. “He relies on those snacks to get him from lunch to dinner, and even breakfast to lunch.”
