HOUSTON – The Houston Food Bank is preparing for a possible surge in demand as the ongoing federal government shutdown threatens to affect federal employees and SNAP benefit recipients.
The organization currently serves about one million people annually but could see that number rise significantly if the shutdown continues beyond October.
“From a supply standpoint, unless the government shutdown persists for an extended period, it won’t significantly affect us,” said Brian Green, president of the Houston Food Bank. “However, the challenging news is that it will impact federal employees fairly soon.”
Green warned that federal employees and service members could miss paychecks if the shutdown lasts until the end of the month, with military personnel potentially missing two consecutive paychecks.
The shutdown’s impact could also extend to SNAP benefit recipients. While benefits are expected to remain available through October and possibly into November, access could be disrupted if the shutdown persists.
The food bank is particularly concerned about households that were previously stable but are now becoming unstable. “The real issue is that more people will need to join the line that they would otherwise,” Green said. “They were stable before, but now they’re starting to become unstable. It’s going to be challenging because there won’t be any federal assistance.”
To help meet these potential challenges, the Houston Food Bank is urging community members to volunteer. Those interested can sign up through the organization’s website at HoustonFoodBank.org.