$1.98 in their bank account: Shutdown leaves Fort Worth-area families in crisis

Fort Worth-area charities are sounding alarms as hundreds of thousands of North Texans are about to lose food stamps because of the government shutdown.

In Tarrant County alone, nearly 225,000 people in September were helped by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. More than half of them were children, said Vicky Martinez, CEO and executive director of Arlington Charities, which serves eastern Tarrant County.

SNAP benefits are expected to be suspended Nov. 1.

Martinez said the agency has already seen a surge in people seeking food assistance over the past two weeks.

“We usually serve about 120 households a day between our drive-through service and our home delivery. However, the last couple of weeks, it’s been like 150 households a day.”

And it’s likely to get worse.

As Americans face the second-longest federal government shutdown in history, unions and organizations that serve federal workers are urging families to prepare now for a prolonged stoppage.

“I think all of the partners, all the food insecurity nonprofits, are ramping up themselves for this increase in servicing the community,” Martinez said.

Arlington Charities, which has been helping with food insecurity since 1978, expects more federal workers to reach out for help for the first time.

On Tuesday, 25 states and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit over the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspending SNAP benefits. The lawsuit alleges the USDA has enough money to fund all, or at least a portion of November payments.

“They’re choosing to suspend it and harm millions of families across the country already struggling to make ends meet,” said the Massachusetts attorney general, Andrea Joy Campbell, in an Instagram post.

Tarrant County charities are asking for donations

Martinez, the head of Arlington Charities, said about 46% of SNAP recipients in Texas are families where at least one person is working. About 30% of recipients have an elderly or disabled family member.

Trey Harper, executive director of Community Link Mission in Saginaw, said his food pantry can serve up to 160 families three days a week, and also has an online ordering program one day a week.

Harper and Martinez said that their organizations never turn away pantry donations. But, they can make monetary contributions stretch further.

Harper’s organization has been starting new initiatives like online orders and a hydroponic farm that can grow lettuce and other leafy greens. The farm was recently able to harvest enough not only for their pantry but another pantry as well.

‘She couldn’t even buy her children Halloween costumes’

Johnny Jones, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1040 in North Texas, represents about 1,600 TSA officers, including at Dallas-Fort Worth airport and Love Field.

“What we’re being told is to come to work, and we promise to pay you at some point in time. And that is the No. 1 concern from all the employees,” Jones said. “TSA officers are tired of being played as some kind of strange bargaining chip for whatever initiative these lobbyists have on their agenda, because it’s not in the best interest of the frontline employee.”

This week, TSA officers and other federal airport workers received their first $0 paychecks. Jones said one TSA employee told him she only had $1.98 in her bank account.

Some can’t go into work because they can no longer afford childcare, Jones said. Some can’t afford car insurance, and others simply can’t afford the gas to get to work.

According to Jones, some TSA workers have started working as delivery drivers on the side.

“I have an employee that came up to me and was just crying because she couldn’t even buy her children Halloween costumes,” Jones told the Star-Telegram. “We have people that don’t have food at home, and they’re too proud to ask for help.”

Tevita Uhatafe, president of the Tarrant County Central Labor Council, said the current situation creates a safety issue. A shortage of air traffic controllers and TSA officers creates communication and security risks for travelers, flight attendants and pilots, he said.

“As long as the two sides have drawn lines in the sand — it’s going to take a big push from the GOP side to have anything move on this,” Uhatafe said.

Justin Chen, a Dallas-based union president for federal EPA workers, said when the shutdown began, only a few employees were furloughed.

According to Chen, now about 60% of EPA workers are home without pay.

Chen said while Texas handles a large amount of environmental regulations through state agencies, the EPA provides subject-matter expertise.

He said, due to the furloughs across Texas and surrounding states, the EPA is critically short on inspectors.

“Including those who do what are called risk management plan inspections,” Chen said. “Which are concerning facilities that have a higher risk of potential large-scale disasters that can occur at them, like stuff that involves potential explosions and catastrophic events.”

Other inspectors furloughed include water, solid and hazardous waste and office staff who work with communities, education grants and tribes.

Where can federal employees and SNAP recipients go for help?

USAA, which provides banking and insurance services to military families, is offering members no-interest loans up to $6,000, with the first payment due in 60 days and the remainder due in 90 days.

USAA members who are active-duty, veterans and their families are eligible for the interest-free loan.

“Part of the advice that we’re giving people is, don’t just think about today but think about what may come in the next week, two weeks, month,” said USAA spokesman Daniel Diaz. “Start thinking a little bit longer term. We don’t know how long this will last.”

Federal employees are thinking about rent, groceries, mortgage payments, credit card payments, and wondering how much longer they can stretch their savings.

Diaz said USAA has seen more federal employee and military service members applying for loans during the shutdown.

“We know that for some people, they’re going on that second missed paycheck, and we do offer additional loan for someone that, let’s say, took out the personal and is now on the second paycheck,” he said. “They can apply and get that second paycheck loan as well.”

Along with Arlington Charities and Community Link Mission, several North Texas nonprofits are stepping in to help.

The Tarrant Area Food Bank has a list of food pantries with a map to find the closest location on its website, tafb.org.

A spokesperson for the United Way of Tarrant County said it has three referral services:

• 211, a free and confidential referral and information service to find health and human services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 211 or go to 211Texas.org.
• Texas Veterans Network, which provides support to veterans and their families through its Mission United intake specialists. Call 844-489-8387.
• Aging and Disability Resource Center can assist adults 60 or older, people with disabilities and caregivers. Visit TarrantCountyADRC.org or call 855-937-2372.

This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 4:55 AM.