The San Antonio Food Bank has launched an emergency plan to assist nearly 190,000 South Texans affected through the ongoing federal shutdown, citing a surge in food insecurity across its 29-county service area.
The organization needs an extra $500,000 each week to meet rising demand and distribute one million additional pounds of food.
The shutdown has disrupted SNAP benefits for roughly 3.5 million Texans, including 1.7 million children, causing increased pressure on local food resources.
To respond, the Food Bank expanded regular distributions and added special events for unpaid federal employees.
Spokesperson David Kim reported a sharp increase in need and urged the public to donate or volunteer to help stabilize access to food.
The Food Bank also launched a public awareness campaign and strengthened partnerships with local organizations to extend assistance to households facing hardship through the shutdown.