At Durham’s Department of Social Services, staff are already planning an emergency food drive. They know the math doesn’t add up: almost $6 million in federal nutrition benefits — upon which nearly 33,000 residents depend — could vanish next month if the government shutdown drags on.
If Congress does not act, Durham could face its first major disruption in history to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. SNAP funding is set to run out Nov. 1. If that happens, it would test the county’s ability to care for its most vulnerable, according to Maggie Clapp, director of Durham County Social Services.
“Every day that goes by, it’s a likelihood,” Clapp said. “We’re preparing for the worst.”
Durham County’s SNAP program serves 32,529 local residents, mostly older adults, families with children, and residents with disabilities.
With little time to act, DSS is organizing a countywide food drive for Nov. 13. Partner agencies — including Durham County Public Health, Lincoln Community Health Center and El Centro Hispano — plan to collect donations at multiple sites across the county to support residents who may miss their usual monthly SNAP payments.
Durham officials are also urging residents who rely on SNAP to prepare for the possibility of no benefits in November. DSS has advised recipients to identify nearby food banks and to look for community programs that can help offset other costs like rent or utilities.
Clapp said the county cannot replace the nearly $6 million in lost federal benefits but is exploring limited local options, such as prepaid grocery gift cards and emergency aid for utilities or rent.
“Unfortunately, it’s not possible to cover that amount at the county level,” she said. “But we’ll use every resource we have to help people make it through.”
SNAP benefits, known colloquially as food stamps, are loaded onto an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card that recipients use like a debit card to buy groceries at authorized stores. Most SNAP beneficiaries work, Clapp said.
“The biggest misconception is that people on SNAP don’t work,” Clapp said. “The majority of people do. They’re just not making a livable wage. I have staff on SNAP.”
Food banks brace for a surge in demand
Food banks are bracing for Nov. 1. At the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, which serves 34 counties, including Durham, CEO Amy Beros said her team is preparing for an influx of families seeking food starting this weekend.
“Many neighbors will be going without,” Beros said. “For every one meal a food bank provides, SNAP provides nine, so there’s no way for the charitable system to fill that gap.”
The Food Bank CENC has already seen need increase sharply in recent years. It now serves 600,000 food-insecure people, up from 450,000 in 2023. Beros said the organization will tap reserve funds to purchase extra food for its 900 partner agencies and expand “pop-up” distributions for furloughed federal employees.
One pop-up was held this week near RDU International Airport, and another is scheduled next week in Butner. But funding remains inadequate, she said.
“It is a real perfect storm,” Beros said. “We’re facing a hunger crisis we haven’t seen in nearly two decades, and it’s only getting worse because of these decisions right now.”
Beros urges residents to use the food bank’s online “food finder” tool to locate the closest pantries and meal sites by entering their ZIP code.
At Urban Ministries of Durham, Executive Director Sheldon Mitchell said the organization’s food pantry already serves between 25 and 30 households daily on the four days a week that it is open. He expects that number to climb quickly if SNAP payments are delayed.
Urban Ministries also holds a monthly drive-through food distribution event at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, offering boxes of groceries to families in need. Adding thousands of newly food-insecure residents to the system would overwhelm local pantries, Mitchell said.
Other federal aid at risk
In addition to SNAP, other federally supported programs could soon face shortfalls if the shutdown persists. Durham County stopped receiving funding for the utility assistance program, Low Income Energy Assistance, on Oct. 1 and will continue to use rollover funds until depleted. Medicaid won’t be affected unless the shutdown extends beyond Dec. 31, Clapp said. Meals on Wheels and school lunch programs remain funded.
“While they will get fed during the week at school, what about the weekends?” Clapp said. “What about when school is out? One meal a day isn’t enough.”
The loss of SNAP dollars would also ripple through local economies, Beros added. Grocery stores and small retailers depend on SNAP spending for revenue, especially in rural communities. Each dollar in SNAP benefits generates roughly $1.50 to $1.80 in economic activity.
“It’s part of our food system,” Beros said. “If that funding disappears, it’s not just families who suffer. Farmers and small grocers will too.”
On Tuesday, N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, joining several other states in demanding that the U.S. Department of Agriculture release emergency funds for November SNAP payments as the shutdown continues.
“These are human beings,” Clapp said. “Think how a mother would feel listening to her kid crying, going to bed hungry.”
“Food is not political,” she added. “It’s a right. No one in this country should have to choose between feeding their child and paying for medicine.”
Pictured above: Viki Baker, director of community engagement for Urban Ministries of Durham, restocks the agency’s food pantry after a busy shift on Wednesday. Photo by Valentina Garbelotto — The 9th Street Journal
