As funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dry up under the ongoing federal shutdown, West Virginia’s largest food bank is bracing for a big challenge.
Getting through the situation will require help, said Caitlin Cook, director of advocacy and public policy for Mountaineer Food Bank.
“While Mountaineer Food Bank is resilient, navigating this shutdown to reduce harm on food insecure West Virginians will take communication and coordination between the food bank, state and federal elected officials and community partners to raise awareness about the changes to federal nutrition programs and find potential solutions,” she said.
SNAP is a federal program, jointly administered by the state, that provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget. About 275,000 West Virginians participate in SNAP, although that number rises and falls, depending on economic trends.
The federal shutdown that started Oct. 1 is now the second-longest in U.S. history.
The West Virginia Department of Human Services posted on social media this week that delays in issuing SNAP benefits for October should be expected, based on federal guidance.
“Additionally, we have been notified that it is very likely the federal government shutdown will delay November 2025 SNAP benefits for all recipients if Congress does not take action to reopen the government in the coming days,” the state agency wrote.
“We understand that this news may raise concerns, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this federal issue.”
Other states posted very similar warnings.
Brooke Rollins, federal agriculture secretary, announced that SNAP funding for November is insufficient because of the government shutdown, potentially halting benefits for millions.
“We’re going to run out of money in two weeks. So you’re talking about millions and millions of vulnerable families, of hungry families, that are not going to have access to these programs because of this shutdown,” Rollins told reporters.
As the federal support remains unclear, more people who need food assistance are likely to turn to food banks.
Mountaineer Food Bank is the largest emergency food provider in the state of West Virginia serving families, children, seniors, veterans and individuals at risk of hunger. Each year, the food bank distributes more than 19 million meals to food-insecure neighbors in 48 of the 55 counties.
More than 200,000 people in West Virginia are considered food insecure, meaning they lack consistent access to enough nutritious food to fuel a healthy life, according to Mountaineer Food Bank.
“The longer the federal shutdown continues, the bigger concern we have for our food insecure neighbors as resources to food access become more restricted, or non-existent, due to federal nutrition programs not operating as they normally would,” Cook said.
“SNAP is a food bank’s best friend and our country’s most effective tool in the fight against hunger, so anytime there is a change to SNAP, it is a concern for us.”
As needs rises, Cook said, Mountaineer Food Bank will continue its support.
“But meeting this challenge will take us all,” Cook said. “We are calling on partners — lawmakers, businesses, faith communities and individuals — to stand with us alongside our food insecure neighbors. We need your help to get more food to our shelves and more meals into homes.”
The risk of SNAP benefits being lost adds another level of urgency to resolving the federal shutdown, said Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy think tank.
“These are really important kitchen table issues for West Virginians and people across the country,” Allen said on MetroNews Midday.
“You know, any delays in critical food assistance are going to have really rippling impacts for the families that rely on them, and also our broader economy.”