Amid an ongoing federal government shutdown, the Department of Agriculture, which administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), froze funding for national food assistance, effective Nov. 1. That left nearly 42 million Americans without benefits to purchase groceries and other essentials. As food insecurity experts predicted, food banks and local pantries nationwide have experienced a drastic surge in demand — so much so that some food bank administrators are saying it could lead to a public health crisis.
Late last Wednesday, the USDA announced that it would issue partial benefits this month in accordance with a court order requiring it to tap into SNAP’s contingency fund. As a result, SNAP recipients will receive up to 65% of their benefits rather than the original 50% that states had been directed to implement. “USDA performed further analysis and determined that the maximum allotments need only be reduced by 35%, instead of 50%, to deplete the SNAP contingency fund,” Patrick Penn, the undersecretary of the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, said in a court declaration, per CNN.
Still, SNAP benefits remain in flux as many families nationwide are still unsure when — or if — their partial benefits for this month will hit their accounts. To provide additional support, several companies and retailers have stepped in to expand their partnerships with various food relief organizations and provide discounts for SNAP recipients across the country. Here’s what’s going on across the country:
On Oct. 26, DoorDash announced the launch of an emergency food response affiliated with Project DASH, a partnership with over 300 food banks, pantries and community organizations to deliver food and other essentials to individuals experiencing food insecurity. DoorDash is waiving merchant fees for all Project DASH partners nationwide throughout November. The company is also waiving service and delivery fees for an estimated 300,000 grocery orders for SNAP recipients. Twenty-five grocery stores, including Sprouts, Dollar General, Giant Eagle, Stop & Shop, Winn-Dixie, BJ’s Wholesale Club and ShopRite, are partnering with DoorDash to eliminate those fees, the Associated Press reported.
“No one should go hungry in America — period,” Max Rettig, Vice President and Global Head of Public Policy at DoorDash, said in a statement. “Millions of families are worried right now about how they’ll put food on the table. Fighting hunger is core to our mission at DoorDash, and we’re stepping up alongside leading grocers and retailers to help bridge the gap. We know this is a stopgap, not a solution. But doing nothing simply isn’t an option.”
Instacart is offering SNAP recipients — specifically, customers who used SNAP/EBT benefits to get groceries delivered via Instacart in October — an individual discount code that offers 50 percent off their next grocery order.
“We’re committed to ensuring every family in every community can put food on the table,” Dani Dudeck, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Instacart, said in an Oct. 31 statement. “As SNAP funding faces unprecedented disruption and food banks brace for longer lines, we’re focused on practical, immediate solutions: helping families who use SNAP stretch their grocery dollars and helping food banks stock up to support their communities.”
Instacart is also expanding its nationwide Community Carts Campaign to support over 300 Feeding America food bank partners and agencies across the country.
Gopuff is offering a $50 credit, which will be broken into two $25 credits during the month of November, for SNAP-eligible grocery items, according to an announcement made on Oct. 27.
To receive both credits, Gopuff customers must add a SNAP/EBT card to their Gopuff account if their card isn’t already connected. From Nov. 1 to Nov. 15, customers must use the code SNAPRELIEF1 at checkout for $25 off SNAP-eligible items and free delivery. From Nov. 16 to Nov. 30, customers must use code SNAPRELIEF2 at checkout to receive their second $25 credit.
Gopuff is committing up to $10 million in total relief, the announcement added.
Albertsons Companies is “accelerating the distribution of $13 million in annual holiday gift cards” to community food banks through its Nourishing Neighbors program, per an announcement made Oct. 30.
“This is our sixth year to give holiday gift cards to community food banks, and we are pleased to be able to distribute them early during a time when it’s needed most,” said Christy Duncan Anderson, President and Executive Director of the Albertsons Companies Foundation. “Food insecurity touches over 18 million households across the country, and by donating gift cards we are giving those in need the dignity to choose what they want to eat during the holidays, when they want to eat it.”
In an Oct. 24 announcement, H-E-B said it donated five million dollars to Texas food banks and an additional one million dollars to Meals on Wheels programs across the state. The rate of food insecurity in Texas has increased from 16.4 percent to 17.6 percent since 2024, according to Feeding Texas. One in five children within the state experience hunger while 13.6 percent of Texas seniors face food insecurity.
“Additionally, throughout November and December, H-E-B will host its annual Feast of Sharing, a series of festive holiday gatherings that serve over 340,000 meals at 34 dinners throughout Texas and Mexico,” the San Antonio-based supermarket chain added. “In the more than three decades H-E-B has held the celebrations, 375,000 volunteers have helped serve nearly five million meals.”
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