As the federal government raises new questions about the integrity of SNAP benefits, one Brazoria County community isn’t waiting for Washington to fix it.

Many Texans will see their SNAP food benefits hit their Lone Star Cards starting Thursday.

With the federal government now reopened, the USDA says states should receive SNAP funding within 24 hours meaning benefits could be reloaded onto Lone Star Cards in the coming days. But as families wait, Houston food banks are seeing record demand, with hundreds lining up for hours just to bring home groceries.

The government shutdown may be over, but uncertainty remains for the 42 million Americans relying on SNAP benefits.

AI Montessori Academy in Cypress is spreading holiday cheer by collecting Thanksgiving food and Toys for Tots donations for local families in need.

President Donald Trump's administration is demanding that states reverse full SNAP benefits issued under recent court orders.

Texas Tribune reporters Terri Langford and Gabby Birenbaum join the Tribcast to discuss how Texans are coping with the loss of SNAP benefits, chaos at airports and rising health care premiums amid partisan fighting in Washington.

BakerRipley is offering food fairs at its various campuses across Houston in November as the government shutdown continues to impact Houstonians who depend on SNAP benefits and other nutrition assistance programs.

Nhan Ngo, owner of Petit Beignets and Tapioca in northwest Harris County, is supporting his community amid SNAP benefit delays by distributing free meals.

KPRC 2 received more information on how the federal government is calculating the reduced SNAP benefits for the month of November as the government shutdown endures its record-tying 35th day.

Although today's food distribution is full, you can sign up to attend tomorrow's event or any event this week.

Texans, Houston Food Bank partner to host food distribution event for families affected by government shutdown, team donates $100,000

With SNAP benefits delayed and government workers going without pay, some Houston-area restaurants are offering a safety net. Local businesses are handing out free kids’ meals and relief deals for furloughed federal workers until financial support returns.

This new facility is set to triple the number of meals provided to Houston's children in need, expanding from 10,000 to a potential 26,000 meals a day by 2031.

President Donald Trump says the United States will share closely held technology to allow South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine.

Starting on Nov. 1, the food bank will launch several food distribution sites across Houston, providing food to 15,000 federal workers and SNAP recipients each week. The distributions will include protein, produce, dairy and carbohydrates.

Help feed Houston families impacted by the federal government shutdown

With grocery prices rising and SNAP benefits set to end on Nov. 1, knowing how long your food can last is as important as ever.

H-E-B announced a $6 million donation to help feed Texans. The company is giving $5 million to food banks across the state and another $1 million to Meals on Wheels programs that serve homebound seniors.

Nearly 900,000 people in the Houston area rely on SNAP benefits to buy groceries, but those payments could stop in November if Congress doesn’t reach a deal to fund the government by tomorrow.

Wall Street closed the week with record highs on Friday as the S&P 500 topped 6,800 for the first time in history.

The Matagorda County Judge said the county’s budget doesn’t allow for “large-scale assistance” efforts

Thousands of Texas families could soon lose access to the food assistance they depend on. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the federal agency that funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), says there is not enough money to pay for full November benefits if the government shutdown continues past the end of October.

Congressman Al Green will host a press conference Thursday afternoon to address the government shutdown impacting SNAP benefits and healthcare.

The State of Texas Health and Human Services tell KPRC, SNAP benefits may not come in November if the government shutdown doesn’t end by Monday.

SNAP benefits are at risk for hundreds of thousands in the Houston area as the government shutdown continues, leaving many families uncertain about how they’ll put food on the table.

The HHSC warned the benefits will not be distributed for November if the shutdown goes past Oct. 27.

Texas officials say food stamp benefits, which go to 1.7 million children, would not be distributed in November under an extended shutdown.

A possible SNAP delay could impact thousands in Houston, but many families already don’t qualify for help. Nonprofits say more households are stuck in the middle, earning too much for aid, but not enough to get by.

With the 2025 government shutdown now underway, struggling families in the Houston area are left to wonder how nutrition programs will be impacted by a potential lapse in funding.

Some of the most vulnerable people in the Houston community are having money, that’s meant to help them feed their family, stolen the moment they get the funds.

Starting April 1, 2026, Texans who use SNAP benefits won’t be able to buy candy or sweetened drinks — including sodas and artificially sweetened beverages. The change, approved by the federal government, aims to promote healthier food choices.

A survivor of clergy sex abuse in Peru brought her public campaign for reform to the American hometown of Pope Leo XIV.

Joel Pizano and Maria Delgado are charged with supplemental nutrition assistance program electronic violation. The two were charged following an investigation by the Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

After enduring more than a year of relentless hardships, a Houston mom and son are finally seeing a turn of fortune, having once faced the despair of being without a roof over their heads.

A new poll shows most U.S. adults don’t think the government is overspending on the programs Republicans in Congress have focused on cutting, like Medicaid and food stamps.

A Houston mother abandoned her cart full of groceries at the checkout counter after discovering thieves had drained her family’s SNAP benefits.

Buoyed by the Trump administration's willingness to place restrictions on food assistance programs, Texas moves to limit junk food.

A Houston lawmaker spoke on Capitol Hill, pushing for assistance to victims of ‘SNAP Skimming.’

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse are amplifying calls for a global zero-tolerance policy and other reforms from the American hometown of the new pope.

SNAP benefits meant to help feed Houston families are ending up in the hands of the wrong people and being spent a thousand miles away in the Chicago area.

Three politicians from the northeast United States have introduced an act to protect families relying on SNAP benefits if their funds are stolen.

Another piece of legislation has been filed in Washington, D.C. to replace stolen SNAP benefits.

The rise in SNAP skimming cases has caught the attention of the top law enforcement agency that oversees financial crimes.

A single mother who had her SNAP benefits stolen and used across the country received a surprise from a Houston nonprofit.

The cards used by millions of Americans to purchase food for their family don’t have modern security features, experts say.

People across the country have reported an increasing number of cases where their SNAP benefits have been stolen and used, leaving them with little to no money for food.

SNAP benefits stolen via skimming are hitting families hard, with no funds to replace them.

Congressman Al Green has introduced a new bill to help Americans who’ve had their food benefits stolen.

A day after legislation was announced by Congressman Al Green that would bring back federal funding to replace stolen SNAP benefits, elected leaders are already chiming in.

After weeks of reporting on a growing number of Houstonians who had their SNAP benefits stolen, a solution could be in the works.

For some families in Texas, the monthly deposit of SNAP benefits onto their Lone Star card is the only way they can put food on the table.

A single mother of three was left trying to figure out how she was going to put food on the table this month after her SNAP benefits were stolen.

An advocacy group called Make Texans Healthy Again (MHTA) praised the move by the Texas Senate in a news release as a way to keep people from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other “ultra-processed products with no nutritional value.”

Fentanyl overdoses have become a leading cause of death for minors in the last 5 years or so — and social media, where tainted, fake prescription drugs can be obtained with just a few clicks, is part of the problem.

Governor Greg Abbott announced Thursday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission received federal approval extending the time that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients impacted by Hurricane Beryl can purchase hot foods and ready-to-eat meals with their benefits until Sept. 15.

Louisiana's highest court is giving childhood victims of sexual abuse a renewed opportunity to file damage lawsuits.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that residents across multiple counties in Texas have been approved for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

A new survey shows that almost a quarter of people who have been dropped from Medicaid during post-pandemic eligibility reviews are still uninsured.

Advocates for adult victims of childhood sexual abuse say they will ask Louisiana’s Supreme Court to reconsider a ruling that wiped out 2021 legislation giving them a renewed opportunity to file damage lawsuits.

The number of Americans filing for jobless claims fell last week despite more layoff announcements from high-profile companies recently.

A Senate committee has issued bipartisan subpoenas to the CEOs of Discord, Snap and X, demanding that the heads of the three companies testify at a December hearing on protecting children online.

Child poverty in the United States more than doubled and median household income declined last year when coronavirus pandemic-era government benefits expired and inflation kept rising.

People who’ve had money stolen from their Lone Star Card accounts may now get it back, but you need to act now. Stolen funds are something the KPRC 2 news team has been tracking for a while now. If you think you had your SNAP benefits stolen due to fraud, such as card skimming, cloning or other methods, you may be eligible to have your benefits replaced.

Many college students who are struggling with hunger are facing the potential loss of food stamp benefits that were boosted in the pandemic.

The formal end of the national Public Health Emergency on Thursday is largely a symbolic and psychological step, representing the country’s formal emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland has filed for bankruptcy due to hundreds of new child sex abuse claims, becoming the second diocese in California to do so.

Frustration continues to grow for many victims who are fighting for answers and trying to get their money back after their SNAP benefits were stolen.

More victims are speaking out claiming their SNAP benefits were electronically stolen, leaving them struggling to provide for their families.

A single mom of three is struggling to provide for her family after she says someone used her SNAP benefit card.

Lost food during Hurricane Nicholas? SNAP recipients can now apply for replacement benefits.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is extending emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for the month of June in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday.

Texas Families Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a second round of federal Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) food benefits for families with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 school year.

Greg Abbott announced Sunday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has received federal approval for SNAP recipients to use their food benefits to purchase hot foods and ready-to-eat meals due to the severe weather in Texas. “As we continue to recover from this winter storm, the state is ensuring that Texans in need have access to hot food to feed their families,” said Governor Abbott. “I thank our federal partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for approving this waiver.”SNAP recipients can purchase these foods at grocery stores that accept SNAP benefits all throughout Texas, according to a press release. Foods like rotisserie chickens and deli foods can be used by SNAP recipients. “These added federal flexibilities will go a long way in helping SNAP clients feed their families.”AdSNAP recipients can buy these foods until the end of March, according to officials.

Food like rotisserie chickens can be bought with SNAP benefits. Greg Abbott announced Sunday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has received federal approval for SNAP recipients to use their food benefits to purchase hot foods and ready-to-eat meals due to the severe weather in Texas. “As we continue to recover from this winter storm, the state is ensuring that Texans in need have access to hot food to feed their families,” said Governor Abbott. Foods like rotisserie chickens and deli foods can be used by SNAP recipients. “These added federal flexibilities will go a long way in helping SNAP clients feed their families.”AdSNAP recipients can buy these foods until the end of March, according to officials.

HOUSTON – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission will provide approximately $204 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, food benefits for the month of December as the state continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency December allotments are in addition to the almost $1.7 billion in benefits previously provided to Texans between April and November. HHSC received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage their benefits. “The extension of these emergency SNAP benefits ensures that Texans can continue to provide nutritious food for their families during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Texas Gov.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will provide approximately $202 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for the month of November as the state continues its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stocks are mostly lower in Asia after pandemic concerns snapped a four-day winning streak on Wall Street. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)TOKYO – Asian stocks followed Wall Street lower on Thursday as investors watched Washington for signs of whether political leaders can agree on an economic aid plan in the two weeks before the Nov. 3 presidential election. On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index lost 0.2% on Wednesday as U.S. political leaders wrangled over economic aid following the expiration of extra unemployment benefits that propped up consumer spending. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 declined to 3,435.56. Industrial and health care stocks declined.

Geg Abbott announced the extension of emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits for the month of September on Monday. Abbott said the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will provide approximately $188 million in emergency SNAP food benefits as the state continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal funding was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. “Texas will continue to ensure access to nutritious meals as we mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Abbott said. Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage their benefits.

Geg Abbott announced the extension of emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits for the month of August on Thursday. Abbott said the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will provide approximately $185 million in emergency SNAP food benefits as the state continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal funding was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. “By extending this emergency SNAP funding, the State of Texas is helping to ensure families can continue to put food on the table,” Abbott said. Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage their benefits.

Greg Abbott announced Thursday the state will provide $182 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for the month of July, as the state continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. “The extension of these emergency SNAP benefits helps ensure that Texans can provide nutritious food for their families as the state continues to combat COVID-19,” said Abbott. The emergency July allotments are in addition to the $628 million in benefits previously provided to Texans in April, May and June. “We’ll continue to make sure Texans can access the services they need as this situation evolves.”Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage their benefits.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave Texas the go-ahead Monday to distribute emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to families with children eligible for free and reduced-cost school meals, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, announced in a statement. The program — known as Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer — is meant to replace the meals children would normally get at school. About two-thirds of Texas schoolchildren are eligible for free and reduced-cost meals at school, Cornyn said. Families who already receive SNAP should see that amount show up on their account automatically. Those who don’t have SNAP benefits should get a Pandemic-EBT card, which works like a debit card, in the mail after submitting their application, Cooper said.

Many Texans are struggling to make ends meet to pay rent, bills and especially groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Texas Supplemental Nutrition Assiatance Program (SNAP) provides monetary benefits to needy families to buy the food they need. Greg Abbott announced on April 8 that he will provide $168 million in emergency SNAP benefits to help Texans during the viral outbreak. More than 230,000 Texans applied for SNAP benefits since March, as many laid-off workers are quickly turning to government assistance. “The additional SNAP food benefits will give families who are facing economic uncertainty security in knowing that they will continue to have access to food,” said Health and Human Services’ Access and Eligibility Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Health and Human Services will provide more than $168 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits to help people in the state during the COVID-19 response, Gov. HHS got federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide the maximum allowable number of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size, according to a news release. Anyone receiving SNAP benefits is included. “SNAP, commonly referred to as the food stamp program, supplements the budget of the working poor. "The additional food subsidy announced today by Governor Abbott, although still supplemental, will help fill a portion of the financial gap created by the economic crisis resulting from this pandemic.

But one year later, what has come of these revelations that accused over 40 priests from the Archdiocese of an unthinkable act? Houston retirement homeLopez de Casas questioned the rationale for places like the Fiorenza Priests Retirement Residence at St. Dominic Village that houses priests with the Archdiocese funds. A few credibly accused priests, such as Charles Schoppe, Denis Lynch, Anthony Stredny and Dennis Peterson, were at one time or another connected to the address. The Archdiocese said none of the priests on the credibly accused list live there now. Response from the ArchdioceseOfficials with the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese agreed to speak with KPRC 2 late Friday to explain why the church continues to support priests, who have been credibly accused.

Even though the change, which takes effect April 1, is not expected to have a major impact on Houston or Harris County, the Houston Food Bank has some concerns about the new rules. In Houston and Harris County, where nearly 600,000 people are using food stamps, there isn’t expected to be an immediate impact. It’s all about battling perception, at least in the short run, according to the Houston Food Bank. The last time Harris County had to utilize that waiver was in 2012. Those with questions about SNAP benefits or who need help navigating the application process are encouraged to call the Houston Food Bank’s helpline at 832-369-9390.