Loma Lopez, 81, doesn't receive much in the way of food assistance — just $24 a month, she said. But as the legal guardian of her 6-year-old great grandson, raising him on her Social Security benefits, every dollar counts.
I'm able to buy his milk, his cheese, usually juice," said the Auburn resident. "He loves his fruits."
No Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will go out in November to roughly 42 million low-income Americans, as the partial government shutdown enters its fifth week and federal funding dries up. It will be the first time benefits have been suspended since the program was formally established over 60 years ago.
The halt has forced the nearly 930,000 Washington residents who rely on SNAP to prepare to make gut-wrenching choices, as state officials have said all Basic Food assistance benefits will end Saturday.
Lopez said she always makes sure her great grandson has enough to eat, but she herself will likely have to skip meals, even if it means putting her health at risk.
"I have no idea how we're going to go through this," she said.
The Trump administration announced it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to preserve food stamps through November, despite significant pressure from Democratic lawmakers, state officials and advocacy groups to do so.
That has left states racing to figure out how to feed their most vulnerable residents, and SNAP participants scrambling to stretch already thin budgets even further.
In Washington, a majority of people receiving food stamps are in families with children. More than a third are in households with older adults or people with disabilities, and more than a third are in working families.
Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Tuesday the state would direct nearly $2.2 million weekly to food banks starting Monday if SNAP funding is not restored. The funding comes from unused money for the state-funded Food Assistance Program for Legal Immigrants, which cannot issue benefits while SNAP is disrupted, state officials said.
Funds will transfer weekly to 25 local agencies and 16 tribal groups that administer state grants under Washington's Emergency Food Assistance Program to help food banks, mobile pantries and other organizations procure and distribute food. As of Thursday, specific allocations had not been finalized.
But in a state that delivers about $37 million a week in food stamps to residents, that relief is a small reprieve. On Thursday, state Rep. Shaun Scott, D-Seattle, sent a letter to Ferguson urging him to declare a state of emergency, as other states have done to tap additional funds.
A judge's ruling in a lawsuit filed this week by Washington and 24 other Democratic-led states over the pause may force the Trump administration to use the emergency funds, though recipients would likely face delays in receiving benefits.
Meanwhile, food banks and food pantries — one of the last lines of defense against hunger — say they are bracing for surging demand.
Already this week, Byrd Barr Place saw a 10% increase in visitors to their food bank, said Chief Executive Officer Angela Griffin. While fruits and vegetables have historically been among the most popular items, she said, clients in recent days have been clamoring for shelf-stable foods and other non-perishables.
"I don’t know what next week will look like, but I’m really hoping the resources come in," Griffin said. She said the weekly state funds are "going to be a drop in the bucket, but it’s something."
She and other community organizers urge those who can to volunteer their time, donate food or make a financial contribution to their local food bank or social services agency.
'A lot of instability'
State officials said any leftover SNAP benefits on EBT cards will remain and roll over into November. Some recipients are holding on to part of their remaining October balance, such as Grace Lee, who receives about $500 a month to help feed her and her husband’s four children.
Her husband recently secured a new job, she said, providing significant income for her family, as well as hope they’ll be able to weather the benefits suspension. But Lee said she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of going to her local food bank in the coming weeks.
"Especially right now, there's a lot of instability, so we really don't know what might happen," said Lee, who lives in Seattle's University District. "It’s a lot of support, that’s $500 of support that’s gone."
Some people who will need to turn to food banks in the coming days may have never visited before, said Kirsten York, Chief Executive Officer of the Multi-Service Center in Federal Way.
On Monday, the food bank's director Steven Curry received over 20 morning calls from concerned residents and worried SNAP recipients, York said, an unusually high number.
"What we’re seeing is people running out of their emergency savings to get through this period of time," York said. "People are going to be going without food to be able to pay rent, maintain jobs, keep their cars."
Hunger relief groups are already straining to meet existing needs, which grew dramatically during the pandemic and never dissipated.
FamilyWorks’s Wallingford Food Bank served more than 5,300 households last year, a nearly 75% increase from 2020, according to Executive Director Marcia Wright-Soika.
"The demand is real and the need is urgent," said Wright-Soika during a recent groundbreaking ceremony to renovate the food bank. Officials estimate the food bank will serve 20% more people annually after renovations are complete.
'The perfect storm'
Nonprofit agencies nationwide have seen government funding for social services shrink this year under the Trump administration. The amount of food waste rescued from grocery stores has decreased, as retailers procure less food amid lessening consumer spending. Wealthier neighbors who often donate in times of crisis are telling some agencies economic uncertainty is forcing them to keep their wallets shut.
On top of all that, the holiday season is around the corner, typically the busiest time of year for hunger relief groups, said Yamila Sterling, director of food access and education at Solid Ground.
"It’s almost like the perfect storm," Sterling said. She warned that residents may face long lines, and that some food banks may need to ration certain staples.
"Too many things are happening, and if the only messaging is to go to food banks, I’m afraid that we are setting people up for chaos and failure," she said.
Service providers who work directly with SNAP recipients say they’re scouring for resources beyond free and low-cost food banks, but options are limited.
GenPride, a nonprofit aimed at serving older LGBTQ+ adults, is seeking donations to help provide bags of groceries for those who've lost their SNAP benefits. A number of local restaurants and cafes are offering free meals, and some small businesses are hosting food drives.
At the Solid Ground Broadview Shelter, residents had already been struggling to afford basics like high quality proteins at grocery stores, even before the SNAP cuts, said Domestic Violence Children's Program Supervisor Amy Hale.
"We have folks saying, 'Wow, one bag of groceries costs what it used to cost to get three,' or 'We're not having meat more than once a week or twice a week,'" Hale said. A majority of residents at the shelter qualify for SNAP, she said.
Food access groups say some SNAP recipients will undoubtedly go hungrier to get by. Sharon, a 63-year-old who lives in Federal Way, said she plans to make smaller food portions next month, and will rely more on the canned food she's already stocked up.
She enrolled in SNAP about three years ago after a stroke prevented her from returning to work, and receives about $190 a month. That accounts for nearly her entire food budget, aside from a twice-a-month delivery of food from the Multi-Service Center.
"With all my health issues, and needing to eat healthy, it would be almost like a tragedy" to lose SNAP benefits, said Sharon, who asked her last name not be used for privacy concerns.
"To take away our benefits in the middle of the holidays and with the cold weather, it just feels like we’re being targeted, Sharon said.
Those seeking food resources can go to the state’s Agriculture Department website, or call 360-725-5640. To find nearby food banks, visit Food Lifeline's website.
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