Central California Food Bank braces for SNAP cuts to impact hundreds of thousands
As the government shutdown drags on, the Central California Food Bank is preparing for funding cuts that could send hundreds of thousands across the San Joaquin Valley scrambling for emergency food resources.
Co-CEO Natalie Caples told The Fresno Bee that her staff started preparations last week for cuts in CalFresh, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), at the end of the month.
The food bank already serves about 320,000 individuals monthly in Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties.
“We’re likely going to see a significant, sharp, exponential use of the emergency food network,” Caples said. “That’s individuals who would normally have their benefits loaded onto their EBT card between the first and 10th needing to turn to other resources to be able to provide food for their families, and that’s primarily food banks.”
About 720,000 people in the five-county area rely on SNAP benefits to purchase groceries. This includes about 248,000 in Fresno County, according to Supervisor Luis Chavez.
Caples said a disruption could send an influx of people to the organization’s network of food banks in a fashion unlike ever before, since the SNAP program was created at the federal level in 1964.
The Central California Food Bank is preparing by assessing internal staff and volunteer capacity, securing additional food and engaging in community awareness campaigns, Caples said.
The CalFood program is a state-funded initiative that has provided $80 million to food banks for purchasing California-grown food this year. Typically, it’s a reimbursement program, but the state issued a cash advance to assist food banks in filling the SNAP gap, Caples said.
“We’re prepared to be able to respond to emergency needs like this for the short term,” Caples said. “We’re resilient and we’ve done this before, but this is not a situation long-term that the food bank can sustain.”
For every one meal that the food bank distributes, SNAP provides nine, Caples said.
“The hope is that the federal government reopens, and that SNAP benefits, even though they’ll be delayed, are going to be issued, and that federal employees can get back to work,” Caples said. “That’s, that’s the number one solution.”
On Monday, the Trump administration announced that it would not use emergency funds to restore SNAP benefits amid the government shutdown. California and 23 other states filed suit against the White House on Tuesday in an effort to restore funding, asking a judge to declare the funding suspension illegal and issue a restraining order.
In 2024, SNAP served about 41.7 million low-income households in the U.S. per month, according to the USDA, and averaged $187.20 per recipient per month.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has offered the California National Guard to assist state volunteers with distributing resources. While the food bank is not yet in a position to opt into National Guard support, the team plans to monitor the situation, Caples said.
The economic impact of the SNAP benefits delay is also significant. Economies in the five-county area will lose about $138 million where SNAP dollars were being spent, Caples said.
Through the shutdown, the Central California Food Bank has been supporting about 1,250 federal employees, primarily in Fresno County, impacted by the shutdown, Caples said. Plus, the organization plans to expand operation hours for its grocery pickup program to support federal workers who continue to be impacted.
Those interested in supporting the Central California Food Bank can donate on the organization’s website. A $1 donation can help provide four meals.
“We are going to stand on the front line with our member partners and with neighbors to be able to support those neighbors experiencing food insecurity,” Caples said. “The food bank cannot make up for the hole that’s going to be felt with SNAP benefits being delayed, it’s just unfortunately impossible.”
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 5:30 AM.