Community pantries across the Rio Grande Valley are bracing for an influx of families in need as about 76,000 households face a temporary loss of food assistance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will halt November benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to the federal government shutdown, which began Oct. 1.
It’s the first time an administration has suspended assistance since the program’s inception in 1964.
With about 22,000 SNAP households in Cameron County alone, food pantries in Harlingen have joined forces, holding weekly meetings and forming a plan to best assist the affected families in the area.
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Lea Juarez
Reporter
Lea Juarez is a born-and-raised Valleyite. She has spent her journalism career writing about arts, life, education and local government. Previously, she was the editor of the Progress Times in Mission before taking a hiatus from news in 2016 to work in construction. During that time, she became a DIY podcaster, sharing inspiring stories from women around the world.
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