Food banks across Missouri are preparing for possible surges in demand as the federal shutdown nears the end of its third week, halting the issuance of November SNAP benefits and raising uncertainty among low-income families.
The shutdown, now the third-longest in modern U.S. history after those in 1995 and 2018-19, continues with no resolution in sight after senators failed Thursday for the 10th time to break the impasse.
The Missouri Department of Social Services announced last week that November 2025 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are temporarily suspended, as the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is unable to issue funds during the ongoing budget lapse. The pause leaves thousands of Missouri families unsure when their next assistance will arrive.
Feeding Missouri Executive Director Leigh Anne Haun said food banks across the state are prepared but cautious as the shutdown continues.
“We have not seen an increase in demand yet,” she said. “But the months ahead are among the busiest for Missouri's food banks because families are already stretching budgets to cover food, utilities, and other winter expenses.”
Haun said Feeding Missouri has noticed an uptick in calls and inquiries from people worried about potential delays.
“Even the fear of missed benefits can drive people to pantries or drive people to seek out those resources,” she said. “We’re starting to see an uptick in inquiries. I don’t want to incorrectly quantify it, but we are beginning to get more queries like that.”
Feeding Missouri coordinates six regional food banks that serve all 114 Missouri counties. Haun said the coalition is in close communication with state agencies and local partners to stay informed and prepare for any needed response.
“At the state level, we’re actively working with our contacts in state departments, our partners, and elected officials, keeping food banks up to date on changes and what those could mean for the flow of food they receive. Right now, our role is making sure everyone has the information they need to respond as needed.”
Boone County Among Those at Risk
In Boone County, roughly 15,000 residents, or about 8% of the population, relied on SNAP benefits each month in 2023, according to the 2025 Missouri Hunger Atlas. Of those, more than 6,000 were children under 18, representing 17% of the county’s youth population.
Irma Arteaga, an associate professor at the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Government and Public Affairs, said that while families have received October benefits, the suspension of November payments could soon have major effects.
“Missouri distributes SNAP over 22 days of the month,” Arteaga said. “So the people expecting benefits on the first of November would be the first to feel the impact if the shutdown continues.”
She added that in past shutdowns, early or delayed payments caused confusion and hardship among families who depend on SNAP.
During the 2018-19 government shutdown, which lasted 35 days, from Dec. 22, 2018, to Jan. 25, 2019, the USDA advanced SNAP benefits to households to prevent an immediate lapse in food aid. Arteaga said that move caused confusion among recipients who spent their funds early, leaving them without support later.
“The USDA gave them January benefits plus their February benefits, but some people didn’t know, and they spent all of it in January. When February came, they were not going to receive benefits, and there was this gap.”
Arteaga said that unlike 2018–19, the current shutdown began at the start of the fiscal year, when no federal appropriations were approved to fund SNAP at all.
“This situation is a little bit worse,” she said, “because there is no money to actually send people their benefits in advance.”
Her research on food security shows that even short-term disruptions can have significant effects on low-income families.
“Families are really going to be affected if they do not get their benefits,” she said. “SNAP is the federal food and nutrition assistance program that provides the highest benefit amounts for low-income households.”
Local Response and Contingency Plans
Haun said Missouri’s food banks are maintaining operations and monitoring for changes in demand while staying ready to respond if the situation worsens.
“We’re hopeful this won’t last long,” she said. “But every day that this crisis goes on is going to add pressures to those already struggling.”
She said the organization continues to coordinate with member food banks to ensure that if SNAP delays persist, local communities will be supported through food pantries and donations.
Arteaga said the situation underscores the need for stronger policy safeguards to protect critical programs during funding lapses.
“Local and state governments might need to be prepared for this, especially when it’s affecting vulnerable families,” she said.