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Proudly serving eight South Texas counties:
Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg, Val Verde, Maverick, Kinney, Dimmit & Starr!
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
Updated on 10/01/2023
The South Texas Food Bank Board, staff, agencies and volunteers are committed to be there for the federal community in our service area during this time of uncertainty.
Congress passes bill which will fund government through November 17, 2023.
Latest Update
What is Our Response
Alma Boubel, CEO of the South Texas Food Bank, has issued the following statement:
"As a government shutdown deadline draws near, The South Texas Food Bank has activated its response team and has been in communication with Feeding America, and its network of partners throughout its service area, planning and preparing for a potential response and operational impact.
Just like in 2019, the food bank expects an increase in demand for services. The demand will depend on the duration of the government shutdown.
Our doors are open and we're ready to provide the community with information. If people are in need of emergency food assistance, they can either come by the office at 2121 Jefferson St.; call 956-726-3120; or, visit our website at southtexasfoodbank.org to locate a nearby agency partner.
As of right now, none of our federal programs will suffer any disruptions and are expected to operate as normal through October.
We will continue to monitor the situation and stay in contact about the shutdown's impact on food insecurity in our community."
We will continue to post public statements and updates as the situation changes. Please continue to check back periodically with us .
In case of a shutdown, federal employees can get emergency food assistance.
Any federal employee in need of emergency supplemental food is invited to:
Webb County: Come by the food bank (2121 Jefferson St.)
Outside Webb County: Call 956-726-3120 Ext. 116 or visit our Agencies Page to locate the nearest pantry.
We serve the federal community in Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg, Val Verde, Maverick, Dimmit, Kinney and Starr counties.
Government Shutdown and its Impact to Food Banks
If Congress does not pass legislation to fund the federal government by midnight on November 17th—or temporarily extends the current funding through a “continuing resolution”—the government will shut down.
The impacts of a government shutdown largely depend on how long a shutdown lasts. The best-case scenario is no shutdown or a brief shutdown that lasts for just a few days. The worst-case scenario is a prolonged shutdown that leads to increased food insecurity among individuals and families.
A prolonged government shutdown would potentially impact food banks in two main ways:
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Increased demand for food assistance from federal employees, contractors, and other impacted individuals.
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Disruptions to SNAP and other federal nutrition programs, due to a lack of funding, a delay in processing benefits, or both.
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Note: USDA confirmed that November and December SNAP benefits will be available in full and on their normal monthly issuance schedule.
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For more information, the media is encouraged to contact the following staff members:
Angie Osterman, Director of Development and Marketing
aosterman@southtexasfoodbank.org • Cell: 956-857-4627
Federal Employee inquiries:
Elia Solis, Agency Relations Coordinator
esolis@soutthexasfoodbank.org • 956-726-3120 Ext. 116