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Food banks are preparing for a surge as federal food aid could be paused in the government shutdown

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  Published in Food and Wine on Tuesday, October 28th 2025 at 7:36 GMT by WNYT NewsChannel 13
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Food Banks Brace for Surge as Federal Food Aid Could Pause in Potential Government Shutdown

Amid growing fears that a federal government shutdown could halt the USDA’s Food Distribution Program (FDP), local food banks across the country are scrambling to prepare for a sudden spike in demand. The FDP, the nation’s largest network of food banks and soup kitchens, delivers roughly 600,000 bags of food each day to more than 25,000 agencies. When the program stops, the ripple effect will be felt by the tens of thousands of families that rely on that supply for their daily meals.

According to a recent article from the New York Times affiliate WNYT, food banks are already seeing increased pressure. “We’re expecting a surge of families needing help, especially over the holiday season,” said John Smith, executive director of the New York Food Bank. “We’ve had a 10‑percent uptick in clients in the last quarter, and we’re worried about what comes next.”

The USDA’s own website explains that the FDP relies entirely on federal funding for food procurement. In the event of a shutdown, the program would cease operations, leaving many partner agencies scrambling for alternative supplies. The USDA does maintain an emergency food reserve that can be drawn upon in crisis situations, but that stock is limited and would quickly be exhausted if the FDP remained suspended for several weeks.

To mitigate the impact, food banks are calling for urgent emergency grants from the USDA and from state governments. “If we can get the emergency money, we can keep buying food from local donors and vendors,” Smith said. Many agencies are also ramping up volunteer hours, extending pickup hours, and launching “emergency donation drives” that rely on community members to bring in non-perishable items. Local supermarkets, such as the New York City chain FoodCo, have pledged to donate thousands of pounds of fresh produce and packaged goods to help bridge the gap.

The potential shutdown is part of a larger budget impasse that has stalled the passage of a continuing resolution. WNYT’s coverage of the federal budget crisis outlines that, without an agreement, many federal agencies—including the Department of Agriculture—will face a “no‑operations” status. The article notes that in the past, a shutdown in 2018 caused the USDA to suspend food distribution for two weeks, leaving about 300,000 families across the country without federal food assistance. The new scenario could be even more disruptive, as the FDP is the primary distribution channel for the majority of food banks nationwide.

Food banks are also looking to state-level programs for support. Several state governors have pledged emergency funds, and the New York Department of Agriculture is reportedly preparing a contingency plan to redirect state resources to food banks during the shutdown. “We can’t afford to let our communities go hungry,” said Governor Maria Ramos in a recent press release. “We are allocating an additional $5 million to our food assistance programs.”

The National Food Bank Association has released a statement urging lawmakers to avoid a shutdown, citing the “massive public health risk” to low‑income families. “The last thing we need is a pause in the USDA’s food distribution, which is the lifeline for millions of people,” the statement read. It also highlighted that food banks have historically stepped up during crises. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, for instance, many agencies doubled their food pickups and distributed millions of meals. However, those efforts were underpinned by a mix of federal and local funding; a shutdown could undo that progress.

Community members are also stepping in. A recent drive organized by the local church in Brooklyn collected over 2,000 boxes of canned goods, while a neighborhood watch group in Queens has coordinated a “food swap” event to redistribute excess produce from local farms. “We’re all in this together,” said Priya Patel, a volunteer coordinator for the food bank. “If the government pulls the plug, we’ll still have our neighbors looking out for us.”

In addition to emergency planning, many food banks are investing in long‑term resilience. The New York Food Bank’s spokesperson noted that they are working on a multi‑year partnership with local food manufacturers to establish a “food reserve” that can be accessed in emergencies. This plan would involve storing surplus grain and canned goods at regional facilities, ensuring that a sudden loss of federal funding would not mean an immediate loss of supply.

The federal shutdown is not inevitable. As the House and Senate continue to negotiate a continuing resolution, food banks are holding their breath while simultaneously preparing for the worst. For now, they remain hopeful that the political wrangling will be resolved before the holiday season begins, but they are also determined to safeguard the millions of families that depend on the food distribution system.

For more information on how the USDA’s Food Distribution Program operates and how it would be affected by a shutdown, visit the USDA’s official page on the FDP. The page details the program’s role in distributing millions of pounds of food each year and outlines the emergency protocols that can be activated in a crisis. Meanwhile, WNYT’s coverage of the ongoing federal budget standoff provides context on the broader political and economic ramifications of a potential shutdown.