San Antonio Food Bank

About 284,000 people receive SNAP benefits in Bexar County, but that benefit will dry up on Saturday.

A sudden surge in hunger is hitting the local community as SNAP benefits are frozen and the federal government shut down continues. TPR has compiled a resource list of area organizations providing meals and support.

With the continued federal government shutdown and SNAP not being funded for November, San Antonio and many other communities are confronting a hunger crisis. The San Antonio Food Bank is working to meet the sudden rising need. We are joined by Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank.

Food banks have already directly felt the impact of federal funding cuts, including the termination of pandemic-era programs that provided $1 billion annually to combat food insecurity. Anti-hunger advocates are particularly concerned about the cuts to SNAP, arguing that for every meal the San Antonio Food Bank distributes, SNAP provides nine. As a result, families will be forced to ration food or lose benefits entirely.

The group's primary role supporting flood recovery efforts has been delivering food and other needed goods. But the organization is also tasked with getting some donations out of the Hill Country region.

Before the cut, the food bank had assisted 105,000 people with food scarcity issues. That number will now likely drop.

Tariffs on Mexico could increase food prices by as much as 25%, and San Antonio Food Bank CEO Eric Cooper said he was concerned this could mean even more people in need of food assistance.

Long lines of vehicles passed through a far West Side high school sports stadium on Friday to pick up food at the San Antonio Food Bank's 100th mega food distribution event.

The San Antonio Food Bank’s Champions against Hunger came back after three years. The exclusive dinner hosted by San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich featured the players and coaches serving a gourmet four-course meal to 200 guests.

The state of Texas is not going to participate in the Summer EBT program, which will now place the burden on existing charities.