SNAP freeze overwhelmed Austin area food banks before partial return

Hundreds of people line up for a Central Texas Food Bank distribution at Nelson Field on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. The government shutdown has interrupted SNAP funding, increasing demand at food distribution sites across the city.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

TAYLOR, Texas — At Shepherd's Heart Food Pantry & Thrift Shop Tuesday, a line of cars stretched around the corner and down four blocks.

The curbside pick-up food bank, located in the semi-rural city of Taylor northeast of Austin, is feeling the effects of a partially lifted freeze on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The federal food subsidy program, which hundreds of thousands in the Austin area rely on, was fully halted on Nov. 1 because of the government shutdown. Courts have since forced the federal government to restore only a portion of November benefits, leaving families waiting as those partial payments are rolled out.

With the money currently in limbo, food banks have been under pressure.

Shepherd's Heart board member Cheryl Cornelius called the situation "the perfect storm." The number of patrons had already been steadily increasing over the past few years due to increased grocery prices. But with the temporary SNAP stoppage and the holidays approaching, they’re seeing more customers than ever.

Central Texas Food Bank volunteers load groceries into cars at a distribution at Nelson Field on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. The government shutdown has interrupted SNAP funding, increasing demand at food distribution sites across the city
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Food banks across Central Texas were operating at an “unsustainable” level of service last week, according to Sari Vatske, president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB), Central Texas' largest hunger-relief nonprofit. CTFB spent $2 million on food in preparation for SNAP's freeze on top of their $1.3 million monthly food budget.

"My concern is that the government can’t get together to do their jobs," said Loretta Masters, executive director of Shepherd's Heart. "The longer it lingers, the worse these people out here are going to be. And the worse we’re going to be."

The battle for SNAP

Guadalupe Cucul, with her 3-year-old daughter, Iris Guadalupe, picks up groceries at a Central Texas Food Bank distribution at Nelson Field on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. The government shutdown has interrupted SNAP funding, increasing demand at food distribution sites across the city.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

As the federal shutdown — now the longest in United States history — dragged into November, the United States Department of Agriculture told states on Oct. 24 it was suspending November SNAP issuances absent new funding. Two days later, coalitions of states, cities and nonprofits sued. On Oct. 31, two federal judges blocked a full halt and ordered the administration to use available emergency reserves, giving the USDA leeway to issue partial or full benefits and to report back promptly.

In response, President Donald Trump's administration said on Nov. 3 it would partially fund November SNAP using contingency funds. The USDA directed states on Nov. 4 to pay about 50% of the maximum allotment, then revised that to 65% the next day.

On Nov. 6, a federal judge went further and ordered full November funding by Friday, citing the risk to roughly 42 million recipients. The administration immediately appealed and sought a stay, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson of the Supreme Court temporarily pausing the lower court’s order on Friday, leaving timing while states work through system changes.

On Nov. 9, the USDA issued guidance instructing states to issue 65% of November benefits and to reverse or offset any full benefits already sent, warning that noncompliance could jeopardize federal administrative funding.

Early last week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that distributing partial funds would "take some time.” The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), who is responsible for issuing SNAP benefits in Texas, has yet to provide a timeline for when people will receive their food stamps.

"HHSC is monitoring how the federal government shutdown may impact benefits," said Jennifer Ruffcorn, spokesperson for Texas Health and Human Services. "HHSC is working to implement the latest federal guidance to issue SNAP benefits as directed."

A week-long "perfect storm"

People wait in line at a Central Texas Food Bank distribution at Nelson Field on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. The government shutdown has interrupted SNAP funding, increasing demand at food distribution sites across the city.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

During the week SNAP was frozen, Shepherd's Heart saw a 20% increase in the number of families they served. Before the freeze, they gave out about 450 bags of food a week, one per family. Now, they’re giving out around 550.

The strain on food banks is being felt across the Austin area, according to the CTFB. They have seen a 50% increase in food distribution, an increase compounded by the approaching holidays. Last week, the CTFB ran out of stock at a turkey and food distribution event in Pflugerville. The event served more than 600 people, but 200 still left empty handed.

Masters said Shepherd's Heart, which is affiliated with CTFB, has never turned anyone away who came for a holiday meal. But she's concerned that might change this year due to a lack of supplies.

"We do our best to serve everybody who comes through us," said Danny Carter, who runs the food operations at the pantry. "As best as I can serve."

Masters called the season “a juggling act,” explaining that Shepherd's Heart is competing with other pantries for the same limited inventory of meats and canned goods — particularly as inflation continues to drive up prices.

A supplement to a supplement

Avery Salinas, 5, picks up groceries at a Central Texas Food Bank distribution at Nelson Field on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. The government shutdown has interrupted SNAP funding, increasing demand at food distribution sites across the city.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Carter and Masters both said that many of the people they serve have had to shop around at more food banks in order to keep mouths fed, further increasing the strain across the board.

Shepherd's Heart services six zip codes across eastern Williamson County, including Taylor, Bartlett, Granger, Thrall, Thorndale and Coupland. But like most food banks, distribution isn't limited to those areas. Shepherd's Heart will give food to whoever comes, no matter where they live.

Food banks work in conjunction with SNAP to ensure families have three meals a day, according to Vatske. Without SNAP, she said, food banks were providing three meals a day for families, putting unsustainable strain on nonprofits and their patrons.

"[People] have had to dip into savings," Vatske said. "They've maxed out credit cards. They are considering taking loans. They are going to additional food pantries and relying on the food bank more than usual."

Vatske said she has heard "heartbreaking" stories of families making tough choices — like deciding which child gets which meal, or stretching food by turning one slice of bread into a sandwich so another child can have the other slice.

But both Vatske and Masters have said they have seen more donations and volunteers in the past week. Masters said that in times of strife she relies on on the community and her faith to pull the pantry through. Three schools and two churches will be hosting food drives soon for Shepherd's Heart.

"One thing that we know to be true is that central Texans step up to support central Texans," Vatske said.

To Masters, that couldn't ring more true. It is something she said she's known since long before the shutdown. Only two people are on the Shepherd's Heart payroll, the rest are volunteers. Whatever food they can't use, they give to farmers for livestock feed or compost. In the front they run a thrift shop to help pay for operational costs. And they lend the space in the back to American Youthworks to host a GED class.

“We just keep doing what we do,” Cornelius said. “We’re still going to take care of the people."

Masters nodded. “As much as we can.”