Millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as food stamps, are facing uncertainty as the program has been partially suspended due to the federal government shutdown that began on Oct. 1. This disruption means recipients will only receive half of their usual benefits until Congress determines sufficient funds are available to support the program, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The SNAP benefits were originally slated to be nixed in full, but on Friday, one day before the benefit suspension kicked in, Rhode Island U.S. District Judge John McConnell ordered the USDA to disperse funds. In similar fashion, Massachusetts U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ordered the department to release a decision by Monday, Nov. 3. As a result, the USDA was forced to pick up half the tab, paying $4.6 million of rainy day funds to keep some of the benefits flowing, but it is unclear how long that stopgap solution will last. “It will take several weeks to execute partial payments,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a post on X.
More than one in 10 Americans relied on SNAP benefits in 2024, according to the USDA, as the government supplied almost $100 billion to 41.3 million people through electronic benefit transfer card balances.
“SNAP benefits are really the best way for people facing food insecurity to get food assistance,” Kathy McCollum, president and CEO of Middle Georgia Community Food Bank, said. “They can go to the grocery store with those electronic funds on their SNAP card, and they can purchase what they need for their family.”
The Middle Georgia Community Food Bank, founded in 1981, serves residents of 24 counties in Middle Georgia and has 200 partner agencies that receive and distribute meals to communities facing food insecurity.
In March 2025, as the Trump administration axed public assistance programs, the Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement budgets were terminated. The decision canceled nearly $1.1 billion in funding previously earmarked for schools and food banks, according to CBS.
With these changes in federal funding, food banks are lacking sufficient funds to provide enough nutrition to the people who rely on food stamps.
“For every meal that a food bank in the state of Georgia provides, SNAP provides six,” McCollum said. “For us to be able to completely cover that need, we would need to be able to do seven times as much as we have been doing.”
When asked how much money is needed to support the community, McCollum said that her organization’s budget would likely be overstretched, and that “the value of the food we would need to have here on hand” would “startle you.”
For those who want to offer support but cannot offer monetary assistance, McCollum recommended that community members get “in touch with their neighbors and see if there's something individually they can do to help.”
As local organizations scramble to feed community members in need, Mercer student organizations like Alpha Gamma Delta and its members are jumping in to help. Alpha Gam’s philanthropy centers on food security in Macon-Bibb County, a near-constant issue in the county home to more than 150,000 people.
“As an organization whose leading cause is to fight hunger disparity, it is incredibly alarming to hear about this action towards the SNAP program,” Alpha Gam Vice President of Philanthropy, Kunj Patel ‘27, said. “Our plan is to maximize our efforts. It is extremely important to support local food banks during this time and try our best to increase donations.”
“There is hope out there,” McCollum said. Her organization updates a list and map of nearby food pantries for anyone in need, and for anyone to contribute to.
Olivia McNamara '26 is majoring in journalism and media studies at Mercer University. She loves visual storytelling and works as photography and videography staff for several organizations. When she isn't studying, she enjoys listening to music, going for adventures and capturing all of it with her camera.
