From Our CEO: Immediate Action is Needed to Protect SNAP Grocery Support

As a multi-state lawsuit begins to force the release of USDA contingency funds for SNAP grocery support, Food Bank CEO Amy Beros shared perspective on the urgency to end the federal shutdown and restore vital funding for food and healthcare coverage.

At the Food Bank, we wake up every day focused on one simple goal: ensuring everyone in our community has access to healthy, familiar food — regardless of where they live or what they believe. Food is a basic human need, and no one should have to worry about how they’ll feed their family because of government delays or uncertainty.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture maintains a contingency fund designed to keep SNAP benefits flowing during federal disruptions. We urge USDA leaders to release these funds quickly to ensure 1.4 million children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities across North Carolina do not experience unnecessary hardship in the weeks ahead.

Our hunger relief network is working tirelessly to meet the increased need, with hundreds of partner pantries and thousands of volunteers stepping up to help. But we know emergency food programs can’t replace the impact of federal nutrition assistance. SNAP remains the most effective tool in fighting hunger and poverty nationwide.

We need swift action to ensure this critical support continues uninterrupted for those who need it most. Every day of delay means more empty plates and tougher choices for our neighbors. 

– Amy Beros, Food Bank President & CEO

Communities across North Carolina are facing the worst hunger crisis in a generation. 

More than 607,000 people in our region — 1 in 7 of our neighbors — don’t know where their next meal might come from. These are not distant statistics; these are the people we pass in the grocery store, at school pick-up, or in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. The massive cuts to lifelines like SNAP and Medicaid that are at the center of the shutdown are straining families who were barely making ends meet. Unless rolled back, these cuts will deepen our already urgent hunger crisis. 

Make a difference today for neighbors who have lost income and grocery support during the shutdown.