WILMINGTON, N.C. — This week, members of Congress are expected to release a compromise version of the Farm Bill that could impact the future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for people in North Carolina and the rest of the country.

It comes at a time when the food assistance program is sustaining residents of eastern North Carolina still confronting the devastation of Hurricane Florence. Jessica Whichard, director of communications with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, said her organization serves 600,000 people, and the uncertainty around the SNAP program isn't helping.

"When people have already been struggling with food, and then after a storm hits, to be concerned about losing those benefits at the same time, it just kind of magnifies the devastation that exists for them,” Whichard said.

In advance of the storm, the state's Department of Health and Human Services temporarily modified food assistance rules to make food more accessible to people as they confront loss of power, water and shelter. On Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper called for a special State Assembly session to discuss relief efforts.

While it's unclear what Congress will propose in the new version of the Farm Bill, the House version included significant cuts to the program that Whichard and others said could be devastating.

Among the temporary modifications, NCDHHS extended the time period people can claim food losses from power outages and other reasons, and also changed what could be purchased with an EBT card. North Carolina Budget and Tax Center policy analyst Brian Kennedy explained.

"Generally that's not allowed, purchasing hot or prepared foods,” Kennedy said. “But considering the fact that folks are out of their homes, may not have the ability to fix and prepare food themselves, we know that folks who are already food insecure are more likely to be impacted by the negative impacts of a natural disaster."

Disaster SNAP benefits begin Friday. They include people in the effected counties that might not otherwise be eligible for SNAP, but now have a need as the result of the storm. Whichard said it's needed.

"Those benefits are incredibly important,” she said. “There is no way, based on what we know from the data coming in, that a food bank could make up the number of meals that those programs help folks with who are facing hunger."

Whichard said the flexibility put in place by the state's DHHS in advance of the storm helped prevent hunger for thousands.


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Groups working to end hunger in Nebraska are reaching out to all parts of the state to train food insecure people to advocate for others facing similar issues.

The advocacy group Nebraska Appleseed's Food Access Community Advocates Cohort educates people over nine months how to build advocacy, community organizing and storytelling skills, so they are better equipped to understand policies affecting the state's most food insecure people.

Megan Hamann, senior community organizer of food and nutrition access for Nebraska Appleseed, said having experienced hunger puts them in a better position to understand and talk about policy issues affecting hungry people in Nebraska.

"They have this lived experience that is really useful, I think, when it comes to making sure that our decision-makers know the impact of the policies they are considering," Hamann explained.

Nebraska Appleseed will start taking applications for new program participants Friday.

Hamann pointed out the number of food insecure people in Nebraska is greater now than it was during the pandemic, when demand at food banks was already high.

"I think with the passage of the recent federal budget reconciliation bill, we are looking forward to a period of time where that need is going to reach new extremes," Hamann projected.

This will be the fourth year of the cohort program. Many past participants have taken leadership roles in their communities and are now leading local efforts to educate others about the best ways to address food insecurity.


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It has been about three weeks since the Rowena Fire in Oregon's Columbia Gorge was put out, and the local food bank remains vital to recovery efforts.

The fire burned 3,600 acres in Wasco County, destroying 56 homes and 100 other structures.

Breen Goodwin, executive director of the Columbia Gorge Food Bank, said they are always prepared to assist during disasters with ready-to-eat emergency food boxes and water. She added many displaced families are living with relatives, in hotels, or camping and remain uncertain about their next steps.

"It is difficult in a community of our size to absorb housing needs for that many families who have lost homes," Goodwin acknowledged. "That next step of the recovery process of truly: 'How are those families being supported with more long term recovery efforts?'"

Breen pointed out the food bank has been serving as a distribution site to hand out supplies from Adventist Health of the Columbia Gorge and other organizations who donated nonfood items, including air purifiers, generators, hygiene supplies and stuffed animals for kids.

One of the biggest challenges, Breen noted, is keeping a supply of drinking water flowing once people start to return home.

"We're able to drop full pallets of water directly into the impacted communities because most of the time the drinking water is no longer safe until enough testing has been done," Breen explained.

The Columbia Gorge Food Bank is one of 21 regional food banks in the Oregon Food Bank Network. Breen emphasized the number of people visiting the food bank rose to about 6,500 per month during the pandemic and has remained at that level. People can visit OregonFoodFinder.org to find pantry locations in their area.

Indiana families are navigating the summer without SUN Bucks, a federal grocery benefit which delivered $120 per child last summer.

Gov. Mike Braun's administration chose not to participate in 2025, citing prior planning gaps.

Mark Lynch, director of advocacy for the Indy Hunger Network, said the funding blackout hit the state hard.

"We really are feeling and seeing the impacts of not having the SUN Bucks program this year," Lynch emphasized. "That $120 per summer for those students that they had last year have created some longer lines at our food pantries."

State leaders said administrative hurdles kept Indiana out of the program. Supporters argued skipping SUN Bucks puts pressure on food banks and leaves low-income families with fewer options.

Lynch noted to help bridge the gap, Indiana expanded its summer meal sites to include prepackaged meals, which do not require daily pickups.

"But there's school starting soon and they're giving their workers some time off for the summer, so that might be ending in the next week or two," Lynch explained. "That's just an example and that happens around the state in rural, suburban, and in city communities."

The Indy Hunger Network and other partners continue to support Hoosiers through tools like the Community Compass app, which shows nearby meal sites and grocery assistance programs.


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