Stanislaus County food pantries brace for spike in demand as SNAP benefits expire
Food pantries across Stanislaus County say they're already seeing an increase in demand as federal food stamp benefits are set to expire this week.
In Stanislaus County, over 94,000 people rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as CalFresh. But those benefits will be suspended come November 1 after the Trump administration opted not to use approximately $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits active in November amid an ongoing government shutdown.
Naomi Pulido, CEO of the Food Initiative of Greater Stanislaus, said her team has been flooded with messages from families looking for help.
"We have already had several people reaching out wanting to know, you know, how to get food from us," Pulido said. "I've been getting emails, phone calls. There's people already trying to find the locations to go get food and find how they're going to supply and feed their family."
The organization operates 20 mobile food markets across Stanislaus County, serving between 50 and 60 families at each site. Pulido expects that number to double once SNAP funding runs out.
The nonprofit is asking the public for donations of canned goods, holiday items, and cash to help purchase food in bulk through local suppliers.
At Love Modesto's food warehouse, staff are also preparing for what they describe as a surge starting next week.
"Come next week, there's no more EBT," said Jeff Cabrera, warehouse system manager. "So now we do 180 a Tuesday and 180 a Thursday. But the way things are going right now, I know it's going to be crazy."
Both organizations say they're hoping for community support to meet the rising need.