WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Days before a looming lapse in federal food assistance programs, Catholic Charities USA, the network organization dedicated to carrying out the domestic humanitarian work of the Catholic Church in the United States, announced a national fundraising effort to provide an emergency supply of food to Catholic Charities agencies around the country.
Funding for SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a major part of the nation’s social safety net — is scheduled to lapse Nov. 1 due to the federal government shutdown, the Trump administration said.
42 million Americans rely on SNAP
About 42 million Americans rely on SNAP. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that in fiscal year 2023, 79% of SNAP recipient households included either a child, an elderly individual or a nonelderly individual with a disability.
CCUSA said Oct. 30 all funds raised through this effort will be used to buy and ship food directly to its partner agencies around the country that operate food pantries, soup kitchens, food delivery programs and other efforts to serve those facing hunger or food insecurity.
“For low-income families and individuals who rely on SNAP and WIC to put food on their tables, this could be a catastrophic moment,” Kerry Alys Robinson, CCUSA president and CEO, said in a statement. “The Catholic Charities network stands ready to come to the aid of our vulnerable brothers and sisters during this time of dire need.”
Historic disruption of program
A lapse in SNAP benefits would mark the first time in modern history there was such a disruption to the program, which is fully funded by the federal government, with the U.S Department of Agriculture administering the program through the states, and administrative costs split between the states and the federal government.
On its website, the USDA posted a notice that said, “Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01.” The message blamed Senate Democrats for the ongoing stalemate.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told Fox News Oct. 28 that the department “does not have the $9.2 billion that it would require” to fund the program.
Schumer says emergency funds exist
But in a post on X, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said, “There are $5 billion in emergency funds that could be used right now to ensure parents and kids don’t go hungry when SNAP runs out this Saturday.”
“But Donald Trump has ordered them not to use this funding,” he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rejected an Oct. 29 a standalone effort to fund the program, accusing Democrats of “playing games” by rejecting a GOP-backed appropriations bill.
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement released late Oct. 28 the bishops are “deeply alarmed that essential programs that support the common good, such as SNAP, may be interrupted.”
‘Catastrophic’ for families, individuals
“This would be catastrophic for families and individuals who rely on SNAP to put food on the table and places the burdens of this shutdown most heavily on the poor and vulnerable of our nation, who are the least able to move forward,” said the archbishop, who heads the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. “This consequence is unjust and unacceptable.”
A coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia have sued the Trump administration in an attempt to keep the program running.
Qualified SNAP recipients receive monthly allowances through electronic benefit transfer accounts, with SNAP EBT cards used like debit or credit cards to purchase essential foods or seeds to grow food. Sales tax, as well as products like pre-prepared and pet foods, nonfood items, alcohol, tobacco, vitamins and medicine are excluded.
CCUSA said even a short lapse in SNAP would leave people going hungry.
‘Real-life consequences’
“The ongoing government shutdown is not merely a political negotiation,” Robinson said. “It has created incredibly serious, real-life consequences for millions of people, from furloughed federal workers to those living in poverty who will now struggle even more to provide for their families. It is past time for congressional leaders of both parties and the administration to forge a bipartisan path to reopen the government and provide relief to all those who are suffering. In the meantime, Catholic Charities agencies will continue to live out their Gospel call to provide compassionate, merciful aid to those most in need in their communities.”
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.
Editor’s note: Readers can get involved in Catholic Charities USA’s emergency appeal here.
