Tarrant County nonprofits could struggle to fill void when SNAP benefits end
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week that SNAP benefits will not go out beginning Nov. 1 should the federal government shutdown continue.
More than 3 million Texans depend on SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, for their food needs. Without those benefits, many will likely look to nonprofit organizations for help.
This week GRACE Grapevine, which provides food, housing and medical support for those in need, put out an urgent call for donations to keep its programs going.
Rebecca Cox, executive director of GRACE Grapevine, said almost 100,000 households receive SNAP benefits in Tarrant County alone.
“This is definitely a unique crisis,” Cox said, describing the likelihood that families will lose access to those resources beginning Saturday.
Cox described a “typical family” needing assistance as one that is working and making ends meet until a crisis occurs such as a car breaking down or unexpected medical expenses.
Likewise, Mia Medina, senior program manager with the nonprofit No Kid Hungry Texas, said many Texas families are just one missed paycheck from needing food assistance.
In a recent survey conducted by No Kid Hungry Texas, 85% of respondents statewide said food costs have outpaced their income growth.
Food prices rose sharply in 2020, and have yet to level off across the board.
Against a backdrop of rising food and housing costs, more and more Americans find themselves in a precarious financial situation.
No Kid Hungry Texas provides resources and grants to school districts and nonprofits across the state, including the Fort Worth school district. The organization is largely funded through private donations, said Medina. As such, it hasn’t yet been severely impacted by the federal shutdown and ongoing funding cuts, like the one that impacted the Tarrant Area Food Bank earlier this year.
But even with an outpouring of support from private donors, Medina said, a pause on SNAP benefits could stretch nonprofits thin. That’s because for every one meal that a food pantry can provide, SNAP funding can provide nine, according to Medina. That eight-meal difference will be hard for community organizations to make up, especially in a time of great need overall.
“In the short term, families are going to have to choose between buying groceries and other essentials,” said Medina.
This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 4:10 PM.