Millions of people nationwide will be affected by the lack of federal food aid ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

February 18, 2026

This week, we’re breaking from our usual trend coverage to share some updates about SNAP.

Bettina Makalintal

The food world is stepping up to the potential disruption in federal food aid

The United States Department of Agriculture announced this week that no funds for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will be going out on November 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown. More than 41 million people nationwide rely on the program to buy food every month, and they are now at additional risk of food security as food banks continue to struggle due to budget cuts and increased demand. More than a million federal workers have now missed at least one paycheck, with many turning to food banks to feed their families as they continue to go unpaid.

Photo credit: Mint Images via Getty Images

As people who care about food, we should also care about food security and those in our communities who are going hungry. Though the scope of the lapse’s effects will go far beyond what any one establishment or organization can address, here are some ways the food world is attempting to provide some relief right now, especially on a local level.

In Washington, D.C., chef José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen is providing food for federal workers and their families, as it did during the record-setting government shutdown in 2019. Despite the challenges the area’s dining industry has been facing, some restaurants are offering deals for furloughed workers, including reduced prices, BOGO deals, extended happy hours, and even free lunches. Baltimore restaurant chain Ekiben is also offering free meals for furloughed workers until the shutdown ends.
In the Bay Area, some restaurants are offering free food to SNAP recipients, as Coyote Media reports. Al Pastor Papi is doling out up to four free burritos per week to families, while Oakland’s Understory is serving pay-what-you-can soup. Some of these efforts include free food for children but discounted food for adults.
In New York City, the culinary bookstore and community hub Archestratus is “indefinitely” taking donations of shelf-stable food for food pantries. Recommendations for donated items include pasta, rice, canned vegetables and beans, snacks, and baby formula.
Food delivery platform DoorDash launched an Emergency Food Response initiative through which SNAP recipients can order groceries with waived delivery and service fees. It’s also waiving merchant fees on deliveries from its partner food banks throughout November.
On Instagram, chef and creator Sophia Roe shared advice for people who may be newly facing food insecurity, as well as for people who are looking to donate food. She recommends donating spices, nut butters, honey, tea, and coffee, for example, to help ensure that people going hungry can still have flavorful, satiating food.
Budget Bytes, the popular blog for thrifty recipes, has a guide for how to prepare for a SNAP disruption.
Budget-focused food creators like Rebecca Chobat of Dollar Tree Dinners are offering tips to get people through the shutdown and beyond.

If you can, consider donating to your local food bank

Inflation and rising costs are affecting everyone, but if it’s within your budget, now is a good time to consider donating to food banks. While it’s always a great idea to donate shelf-stable food you may already have in your pantry (as long as it’s not spoiled or beyond its expiration dates), financial donations — as we’ve previously explained — tend to go further since food banks know what specific categories they need and have the power of buying in bulk. Feeding America is a great place to start, and can help you find food banks in your area.

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