With the end of the federal government shutdown, Western North Carolinians could see their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as soon as tomorrow, according to Gov. Josh Stein.
While volunteering at Asheville’s MANNA Food Bank on Thursday, Stein addressed the federal government’s role in “willfully” turning off SNAP benefits.
“They exacerbated people's pain, people's hunger,” Stein said. “1.4 million North Carolinians get SNAP benefits. Hundreds of thousands of those are children, disabled people, seniors, people who desperately need nutrition every day.”
Stein also presented the food bank with a $585,000 check, its portion of nearly $22 million in state funds and donations raised to help with food relief during the shutdown.
MANNA is seeing its greatest need even before the federal shutdown in its 42-year history, Claire Neal, its CEO, told reporters. Since Helene, the food bank has distributed 19 million pounds of food. The shutdown’s impact on EBT/SNAP has only increased need and demand in the 16 westernmost counties MANNA serves.
“ We're hearing from our pantry partners, more people are coming for food assistance than ever before,” Neal said. “More people need immediate food assistance, and there are more new people who have never needed to use a food pantry or a food bank before needing that help.”
Stein added that the increased need will only get worse over time.
“ 2026 is gonna be a wave of pain, which only underscores why MANNA is so important to the community,” Stein said.
