Restaurants Offering Free Food To People Losing SNAP Benefits

With SNAP benefits set to expire on Nov. 1 amid the ongoing government shutdown, restaurants and community organizations across the country are stepping up to ensure that no one goes hungry.

Communities Step Up as SNAP Benefits Set to Expire Amid Government Shutdown

In Palm Beach County, Florida, Rodney Mayo, owner of Subculture Group and Hospitality Helping Hands, announced that beginning Monday, all nine of his restaurant locations — along with every s shop — will offer one free meal per day to SNAP recipients, according to WPTV.

Mayo said he will launch a website on Saturday with detailed information about pickup times, participating locations, and how eligible residents can receive their meals. 

During an interview with WPTV, Mayo acknowledged that while this effort won’t solve the broader issue, it’s “a step in the right direction.” With over 30% of local SNAP recipients being children, he hopes it inspires other restaurant owners to follow suit. The outlet noted that the impending funding lapse could impact more than 160,000 people in Palm Beach County alone.

“We can’t count on the government or the city to do that,” said Mayo. “They’re not going to ramp up. But we’re the ones that have the kitchens. We’re the ones that know how to produce a lot of meals. And so it just makes sense.”

Across the country, other businesses and food banks are taking similar action

In California’s Bay Area, the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano and the Alameda County Community Food Bank have created interactive maps and have telephone support on standby to help residents locate food pantries and meal services nearby.

Meanwhile, the restaurant Lovebite Dumplings, located in Phoenix, Arizona, announced that it will provide free meals to SNAP recipients from Nov. 1 to Nov. 8, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“SNAP benefits are being paused in November due to a federal funding lapse, leaving millions of families without access to food support. No one should go hungry because of politics,” the business wrote on its Instagram on Oct. 28.  

Out east, in San Antonio, Texas, Papa Murphy’s in New Braunfels is offering free Mini Murph pizzas — a kid-sized make-and-bake option — to families impacted by the shutdown.

“The idea of a kid going hungry because a bunch of adults can’t agree is ridiculous,” franchise owner Hunter Smith told MySA on Oct. 30. “We just want to make sure that we’re having as much of a positive impact as we can and that the children in our community get taken care.”

Community care is also flowing throughout Charlotte, North Carolina, where several local farmers’ markets are introducing special contingency programs so residents can still access fresh food in November, according to Axios.

SNAP customers who present their EBT cards at five participating markets — Davidson, Matthews Community, South End, Uptown, and Charlotte Regional — can receive $50 in SNAP tokens to buy approved foods from local vendors.

Additionally, several Charlotte-area businesses are offering free food to furloughed federal workers with a valid ID during the shutdown:

• Manolo’s Bakery is giving away free cakes at 4405 Central Ave.
  
• Cuzzo’s Cuisine is providing free meals Tuesday through Thursday at 9601 N Tryon St.
  
• Ruby Sunshine is offering a free brunch entrée (up to $20) Monday through Friday at 332 W Bland St.
  

As previously reported, in New Hampshire, the state government has partnered with the New Hampshire Food Bank to expand mobile pantry services to as many as 20 locations for SNAP participants. These additional sites will operate for five weeks or until benefits resume. The state has also secured extra funding to sustain the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program until at least Nov. 7, though officials warn some services could be paused if the shutdown continues.

Americans looking to help can locate their nearest food bank or donation site through Feeding America’s website by simply entering a ZIP code to find resources in their area.

A legal fight over SNAP benefits funding has emerged ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline

As the Nov. 1 deadline approaches, both state and federal officials are racing to keep SNAP funding active. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which manages the critical program, has claimed that the SNAP “well” has “run dry” because “Democrats voted 13 times not to fund the food stamp program,” according to statements on its website. Democrats, however, dispute that characterization.

Democratic governors and attorneys general from nearly 25 states have sued the federal government, arguing that SNAP benefits is an entitlement program that cannot legally be cut off, even during a shutdown. The lawsuit filed in Massachusetts requests that a federal judge order the USDA to provide its normally scheduled SNAP benefits in November.

Typically, federal agencies prepare “lapse of funding” plans for scenarios involving shutdowns. The USDA’s current plan suggests that contingency funds — totaling between $5 billion and $6 billion — could temporarily sustain the program. That amount, however, falls short of the roughly $8 billion required to cover November benefits in full.

Unless those funds are released soon, millions of Americans could face food insecurity within weeks. State officials argue that halting benefits would cause “irreparable harm” to families and would leave local governments scrambling to respond.

The Trump administration has taken the opposite stance, asserting that it is legally prohibited from extending benefits using emergency funds.

During a hearing in Boston on Thursday related to the recent lawsuit, Massachusetts Judge Indira Talwani expressed a determination to ensure benefits continue throughout November.

“Congress put money in an emergency fund, and it is hard for me to understand how this is not an emergency,” Talwani said, according to NPR. “It’s really clear to me that what Congress was trying to do was protect the American people,” she continued, adding that lawmakers intended to make sure that in the event of a shutdown, “we’re not going to make everyone drop dead because it’s a political game someplace else.”

SEE MORE: 

If SNAP Benefits Get Cut Off, White Grievance Will Eat Itself

When The Government Starves Us: How SNAP Cuts Target Black Survival