COLUMBUS, Ohio - Federal officials say fallout from the government shutdown will not impact the food security of families already living on the edge, in Ohio and other states.

There were concerns that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP could dry up after January, but the USDA announced late Tuesday that it is working with states to issue February benefits earlier than usual.

However, Joree Novotny with the Ohio Association of Foodbanks says there are still thousands of federal employees who are furloughed or working without pay, which could make it difficult for them to put food on the table. She explains local food banks and food pantries will do what they can to help those in need.

"We're facing a reality that we're going to be pressured more and more to try to respond to the growing need, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't turn to us," she said. "Please don't hesitate to come and ask for help if you need it."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also said other nutrition assistance programs, including the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for seniors and the Women, Infants and Children program or WIC will have sufficient funding to continue operations.

Novotny noted that hunger-fighting groups will still be stretched to continue to distribute food for programs such as school meals and emergency food assistance that are federally reimbursed.

"Our food banks will be facing a challenge," she said, "in that, at some point, we may have to deal with the fact that we will have to continue to distribute foods that we receive, without receiving any funding from the federal government to offset our costs related to storing that food and transporting it."

During past federal shutdowns, Novotny said, there was a lot of misinformation, which can have a chilling effect on assistance programs.

"A lot of folks were living in fear of what or what may not happen, thought that the shutdown was affecting programs that it wasn't actually," she said. "And there's not a lot of folks in the federal government who are able to go to work right now and get accurate information out."

Meanwhile, the White House this week eased fears about delayed income-tax returns by directing the Internal Revenue Service to process refunds during the federal shutdown. Novotny said it's a bit of relief for lower-income working families who rely on tax refunds and credits.


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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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