Weeks after the government shutdown came to an end, millions of Americans may be on the verge of losing access to public food benefits for the second time.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as SNAP or food stamps, is set to undergo significant changes in the year ahead. This also comes as the Department of Agriculture has signaled it could withhold SNAP funding from states that don't comply with a request to hand over the personal data of the program's recipients to the federal government. All of this adds pressure to local food pantries already facing increased demand this holiday season.
“Marketplace Morning Report” host Sabri Ben-Achour spoke with Charles Dennis, the executive director at Feeding America, Kentucky's Heartland. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
Sabri Ben-Achour: Can you tell us a little bit about the services you provide on a day-to-day basis?
Charles Dennis: We work in 42 counties in central and western Kentucky. We work with a little over 200 partner agencies, and so we are distributing food on a daily basis through various programs like CSFP, which is a senior box program. We have children's programs, and so each year, we distribute around 20 million pounds of food. Some of the things I'm most proud of is some of the work we do with Kentucky farmers. We have some state funding that goes to help provide food, fresh produce that is grown in Kentucky, and we distribute that through that partner agency network.
Ben-Achour: We are in an economy where different slices of the American people, based on their income, are experiencing very different realities right now. With that in mind, what is demand like for food and your services this holiday season compared to last?
Dennis: Well, it's definitely increased because of the government shutdown and a lot of the uncertainty around that, and so some of our agencies have reported seeing twice as many people as they had seen the year before. But I will give our communities credit. And every time there is a need, our communities step up.
Ben-Achour: When you say that the community has stepped up, what do you mean exactly? What have people done?
Dennis: Those in the community stepped up with food drives, with donating money. Here in Kentucky, the governor distributed $5 million to the Feeding Kentucky food banks. And on top of that, it was, you know, volunteer hours. And so here in Elizabethtown, we worked with the city of Elizabethtown, and we did special distributions leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Ben-Achour: If the administration follows through on plans to cut funding, what would that mean for you?
Dennis: Well, I think what we saw from the government shutdown was that SNAP illustrates the scale at which it helps with food insecurity. So, in the month of November, in the 42 counties that we serve, there should have been $20.5 million that went in for SNAP benefits for one month. My yearly cash budget is $6 million, so as we're moving into our legislative session this next year, at the beginning of 2026, that's the story we're going to be telling state legislators is we can't make up that difference unless we have a lot more resources.
Ben-Achour: You know, welfare, food stamps, assistance, in general, it has periodically been very politicized in the U.S. Do you think that has an effect on the way we think as a society, about helping others?
Dennis: I would encourage anyone to come volunteer and come do the work with us. Once you get on the front lines and you really interact with those in the community, I think it gives you a new perspective.
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