In the wake of the federal government shutdown that is poised to cut off Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for 42 million Americans on Nov. 1, officials and food bank leaders in Illinois and Arizona are preparing for what they call an unprecedented hunger crisis.
In an Oct. 31 news release, the Alliance to End Hunger said USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins reaffirmed an Oct. 24 announcement that the agency would cease funding SNAP starting Nov. 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown, stating that previously appropriated contingency funds are not available since Congress has not passed spending bills for the current fiscal year.
During a press call on Oct. 30, state treasurers from both states warned of a cascading economic and social toll of halted food aid — particularly for children, seniors and working families already struggling to afford groceries. Their comments follow earlier reports from Maryland and Oregon where leaders described similar surges in food bank demand and the financial pressures facing low-income households.
With fresh produce being the most requested item at food banks, the industry could see one of the sharpest impacts from the loss of SNAP benefits.
SNAP spending totaled $99.8 billion in 2024, according to USDA data. With data suggesting that about 9% of SNAP benefits are redeemed on fresh produce, according to the International Fresh Produce Association, that potentially equates to $8.98 billion — or roughly $748 million each month flowing to growers, distributors and grocery retailers.
Pulling that support out of the marketplace would not only limit access to healthy food for families but also deliver a significant blow to the fresh produce industry nationwide.
Illinois
During the press event, Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs called on Congress to end the shutdown immediately and restore funding for food assistance, warning that nearly 2 million Illinois residents — with nearly 4 in 10 of those households being seniors and nearly half of the households having children or people with disabilities — stand to lose access to food benefits for the first time in U.S. history.
“Let’s put this into context,” Frerichs says. “We’re not talking about a lot of money. The average monthly SNAP benefit is $370, or about $12 a day.”
Frerichs says the loss of SNAP benefits would devastate vulnerable households already struggling with higher grocery prices. He criticized recent federal cuts to food programs, including $500 million from the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which he says reduced deliveries of produce, dairy and meat to Illinois food banks.
Frerichs highlighted community-led efforts such as Farmers Feeding Families, a collaboration between United Way, Parkland College and local schools that farms 70 acres to fund hunger relief. He says Illinois food banks are preparing to fill a “massive gap” left by the halted benefits, and the state has joined other states in a lawsuit to protect food access.
“We focus on partnering with people doing the greatest good,” Frerichs says, emphasizing that the measure of a nation is “how it treats its most vulnerable.”
At the Glen House Food Pantry in Glen Ellyn, Executive Director Laura Glaza describes the dire ripple effects of suspended SNAP benefits. Her pantry, part of the Feeding America network, already serves one of Illinois’ wealthiest counties, yet 10% of DuPage County residents — about 93,000 people — are at risk of hunger.
“Last year, we provided 869,000 pounds of groceries, including 300,000 pounds of fresh produce, which is the most requested item,” Glaza says.
With SNAP providing nine meals for every one supplied by food banks, Glaza warned that the loss of federal aid could send 60,000 to 80,000 additional people monthly to food pantries. Her organization’s food costs have skyrocketed from $32,000 in 2019 to a projected $275,000 this year, as they serve more than 55,000 households annually.
“We’re squeezing in more people every hour,” she says. “Our goal is to make hunger history, but our job is getting harder every day.”
Arizona
In the Southwest, Coconino County Treasurer Sarah Benatar says the federal shutdown is pushing Arizona families past the breaking point. More than 855,000 Arizona households, including 358,000 children, rely on SNAP benefits averaging just over $309 a month, Benatar says.
With no mechanism for states to fund EBT (electronic benefits transfer) cards or guarantee federal reimbursement, Benatar says.
“Federal action is not optional; it is urgent,” she says.
During the Oct. 30 press call, she praised Arizona’s creation of a $1.8 million emergency food fund — with $1.5 million directed to food banks and $300,000 to the Double Up Food Bucks program — but warned that state efforts are not a substitute for federal support. In Coconino County, where 18% of residents live in poverty, SNAP-authorized stores redeem more than $500,000 in benefits annually, making the stakes significant for local economies and small businesses, Benatar says.
At the Flagstaff Family Food Center Food Bank and Kitchen, CEO Ethan Amos says the situation is unprecedented. Food banks, already stretched by record demand and fewer resources, cannot fill the gap left by SNAP’s suspension.
“These are working families — nurses, social workers, restaurant employees — people already living on the edge,” Amos says.
He cautioned that the loss of benefits will not only increase hunger but also drive up health costs and deepen financial instability. Amos adds that the region’s nonprofits are resilient and coordinating to share resources, but he urged swift federal action.
“This isn’t about dependency; it’s about survival and stability for working families,” he says.
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