Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
The San Antonio Food Bank is preparing for thousands of additional clients as the federal government shutdown continues and SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, will not be distributed to recipients on November 1.
About 284,000 people receive SNAP benefits in Bexar County, but that benefit will dry up on Saturday. That’s about $45.5 million distributed each month. There are about 128,000 Bexar County households using SNAP benefits, with the average home receiving $385 per month according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
As cars lined up at the food bank for its regular distribution on Monday morning, volunteers began loading them up with produce like carrots, squash, and bread. In line was Betty Collier, who was there to pick up food for herself and her husband. She said she plans to share some of the food with her kids and 12 grandkids.
“I do have a daughter with four kids. She's on food stamps, and she's the only one working in the house,” she said. “Her son just graduated, found out he's got cancer, so he can't work. So it's gonna hurt some families really bad.”
She added that affordability for just general groceries is getting to be out of reach.
“I try to help my kids out with the grandbabies,” she said. “They want milk, they want cereal, they want sandwiches, and you can't do it.”
The San Antonio Food Bank already serves 105,000 people per week. CEO Eric Cooper said he expects that an additional 50,000 people per week will need its services.
“That would be at some record levels for us and demand that is greater than what we experienced during the pandemic," he said.
Major donations have come in from companies like HEB in recent days; and Cooper said he’s ready to empty the shelves to help meet demand. He estimates that 12 to 18 truckloads of food come in per day, but that that same amount is given out each day.
“We are shipping more food out than is coming in. And if the government shutdown continues, we're going to run out of food, unless you know the government opens back up,” he said. “Now, philanthropy is needed, and that will help me stay with stock, but it's a desperate place.”
Across the state, food banks are dealing with a similar issue. Feeding Texas, the association of food banks in Texas, indicates there are 3.5 million Texans on SNAP benefits, representing about 11% of the population. About half of all recipients are under the age of 18 and 15% are over the age of 65.
“When you consider that the vast majority of SNAP recipients are children, seniors, and people with disabilities, the stakes become painfully clear,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas. “These are our neighbors, our grandparents, our kids. A delay in benefits isn’t just inconvenient—it’s devastating. It means empty pantries, skipped meals, and added stress for families already living on the edge. Communities across Texas will feel the ripple effects, from our schools to our local economies. This is a moment that demands urgent action and compassion."
If SNAP benefits in Texas were to stop for a month, it would pause about $614 million in funds.
