Millions of Texans Could Lose Food Assistance During Shutdown

(KNUE-FM) While most Texans don’t love to talk about it, we are all feeling the cost of inflation. Grocery bills are drastically higher than a few years ago, but it’s not just groceries, as everything is costing more lately and many people are struggling to pay all of their bills.

Plus, food assistance is now being put on hold during the current federal government shutdown. According to Texas Tribune, that means around 11% of the Texas population will not receive the assistance they need.

How the Shutdown Impacts Texas Food Assistance

This isn’t a political issue to me; I just want to make sure everyone has access to a meal when they are hungry. There are currently 3.2 million Texans who receive food benefits on their Lone Star Cards, half of them are children. We need to make sure kids are not going hungry here in the Lone Star State.

READ MORE: Holiday Help for Texas Families Facing Stress and Struggles

READ MORE: Thanksgiving Survival Guide: Texas In-Law Etiquette

Where Texans Can Find Food Help

If you need food, don’t hesitate to ask for help. There are food pantries, churches, community fridges around Texas that offer groceries and meals. Click here to see the Feeding Texas tool to find a food bank near you. You might want to call a food pantry before showing up to confirm distribution days and any documentation they might need before providing assistance.

Other options for food assistance include calling 2-1-1 or reach out to the Texas Health and Human Services website as they will have information available.

How to Donate Safely to Food Banks

If you’re donating money to help, remember to verify the program before sending money. There will be lots of scammers, if you want to give to a specific food bank through the Feeding Texas’ website you can do that here.

If you want to donate food, you can find out food pantries that are accepting donations through the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry website. The most needed items are canned proteins, vegetables and fruits, dried beans, rice, pasta, cereal and peanut butter. Other needs include baby formula and gluten-free items.

We’re Texans we will get through the struggles but do what you can to help friends and neighbors because we are all going through it right now.