SNAP benefits uncertainty causes angst
If the federal government shutdown continues into November, those relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will not receive benefits.
Alexa Post, 9, helps load food into a car with her mother, Melonee Post, right, and Peggy Burner, left, during the Wings of Faith Fellowship Operation Compassion food distribution at the Ocala Rotary Sportsplex on Southeast Maricamp Road in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. Operation Compassion distributed 38,075 pounds of donated food to hundreds of people, equivalent to about $73,104 on Wednesday, only three days before the government shutdown will end SNAP to people who need it most on Nov. 1. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
Editor’s note: This is an expanded version of a previous article.
As the federal government shutdown stretches on, thousands of Marion County families who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could face a gap in food benefits next month.
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, serving more than 3 million Floridians each month. Benefits are typically issued at the start of each month to help low-income individuals and families buy groceries.
In a notice issued Oct. 23, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) warned that the federally funded program “will not issue November 2025 benefits until federal funding is restored.”
“Floridians will not receive SNAP benefits,” the notice stated, adding that the program is administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whose funding has been disrupted by the shutdown.
LONG LINE FOR FREE FOOD
On Oct. 29, more than 400 cars were in line for a free food distribution event worked by Wings of Faith Fellowship Church volunteers and supported by His Compassion Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
The event took place at the Ocala Rotary Sportsplex of Marion County, and some vehicles had signs on the windshield indicating they were picking up food for more than one family.
Several people at the event said they were concerned about their SNAP benefits.
“Elly,” 39, the single mom of a 12-year-old daughter, was in tears when she stopped her dark brown Nissan at the end of the distribution line to talk to some of the volunteers.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said about managing her budget after the announced pause in SNAP benefits on Nov. 1. “I’d rather starve myself than not feed my daughter properly.”
She currently gets about $500 monthly in SNAP food assistance to bolster her income from working in a large retail store. She said she also will check other food banks, such as Saint Theresa Catholic Church in Belleview.
“Cindy” was accompanied by her 17-year-old son, who has special needs. She said she has a family of four and is the caregiver for her son, which keeps her from regular employment. She said she’s concerned about the announced SNAP pause and people becoming desperate.
“Absolutely,” she said her reason for coming to the food distribution was “food stamps,” which were stopped last month with “no explanation.”
Wings of Faith Fellowship Church volunteer Sonny Merrick, a Vietnam War veteran, said some of the people who visit are “hurting.”
One woman in the car line said she was at the food distribution “because I don’t get food stamps” while another woman with a teenage son indicated she was getting prepared for the SNAP pause.
Victoria Muni said she gets some (governmental) assistance and is caring for a grandchild. She remarked on the number of charitable outreaches in the area and said she will visit local food banks during the SNAP pause.
The food being distributed was from His Compassion Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Bimbo Bakery and Publix Supermarkets.
“Today’s final numbers … 504 families, consisting of 1,926 people, served within two hours and 50 minutes, 37,075 pounds distributed, consisting of 72% healthy food as defined by USDA standards. Each family received an average of 75.5 lbs. of free food valued at $145. We had 56 volunteers and six staff serving a total of 289 hours today,” Broom texted on Wednesday afternoon.
DCF IS MONITORING
DCF emphasized that October benefits were issued as scheduled and that funds already on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards would be available for use — but if the shutdown continues, no new deposits will occur in November.
Applicants who have already submitted renewals or paperwork are asked not to reapply, as doing so could delay processing once funding resumes. DCF said it is “monitoring the federal government shutdown closely” and will post updates on its website as soon as benefits can resume.
The agency also noted that recipients may still see notices showing their eligible benefit amounts, even though no money will be loaded to their EBT cards until Congress passes a funding bill.
IMPACT IN MARION COUNTY
The potential pause in benefits comes at a time when Marion County’s food insecurity rate remains higher than the state average, according to data from the Florida Department of Health.
In 2023, 14.9% of Marion County residents were considered to be food insecure, compared to 14.4% statewide, according to figures compiled by the department.
The Feeding America’s “Map the Meal Gap” project estimated that 57,910 residents in Marion County experienced food insecurity in 2023.
Local food banks and nonprofits say they are already bracing for increased demand.
Erika Spence is communications manager for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, which serves seven counties including Marion County. Spence said food distribution figures for Marion County show a dramatic increase in 2025 compared to 2024 and she “expects the demand for food assistance to increase after programs like SNAP are paused Nov. 1.”
The Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida-Marion Branch is at 4045 NE 36th Ave., Ocala. That branch and 42 feeding partners here distributed 323, 000 pounds of food “to kids, families and seniors facing hunger” in September 2024. In September of this year, the branch distributed 693,000 pounds, Spence stated.
Thats an increase of “114% on one year,” Spence noted.
Spence said more than 61,000 Marion County residents receive SNAP benefits and that statistics show one in seven people is experiencing hunger, including one in six kids in Central Florida, including Marion County.
His Compassion Food Bank, at 2000 N.E. 78th St., Ocala, is an outreach of Wings of Faith Church, which also operates Operation Compassion. Rev. Edwin Quintana, CEO of His Compassion, said the number of families visiting the food bank was 887 in September and was up to 966 through Oct. 27.
His Compassion COO, the Rev. Dale Broom, said the outreach is already seeing the effects of pending governmental cutbacks.
“We’ve been inundated with calls recently from people afraid of losing their (governmental) benefits,” Broom said.
One of the area’s lead help agencies is Interfaith Emergency Services. Karla Greenway is the organization’s chief executive officer.
“A good portion of our clients are already on SNAP benefits and use us just to finish out the month. We try to make people wait 30 days before coming back for groceries to ensure that we have resources to help every household that needs our assistance. I have no doubt we will have clients asking for an additional visit next month in addition to those who use SNAP and do not normally need our help,” Greenway said.
“We are going to let clients know other pantries or food distributions that they can visit. We are already providing food to approximately 2,500 households each month and anticipate having to turn families away, which we don’t normally have to do. We have a capacity of 80-90 families we can serve each day at our downtown site and once we have that number of clients show up each day, we have to cut off services until the next day. I can see people coming extra early to line up to ensure that they get served,” Greenway continued.
“It’s maddening that the politicians continue to get paid while the citizens that are powerless suffer. I bet if they cut off the paychecks in Washington, DC, they would resolve the issues at hand much quicker,” she added.
STAY INFORMED
SNAP recipients can check their EBT balance or card status anytime at ebtEDGE.com and DCF will post official updates at myflfamilies.com Until federal funding resumes, food assistance advocates are urging residents to conserve existing benefits and connect with local pantries for interim help.
RESOURCES
Here are some agencies that may be able to help. Many of them will need additional donations, however, to help meet coverage gaps. There also are many food pantry programs at churches throughout the region.
MARION SENIOR SERVICES
The nonprofit, charitable social agency provides supportive care services to elderly, disabled and disadvantaged residents of Marion County. The agency helps people live independently as long as possible by providing them with meals, transit and in-home support. To learn more, go to marioniseniorservices.org
INTERFAITH EMERGENCY SERVICES
Interfaith Emergency Services provides a full range of services and assistance for residents of Marion County. Individuals and families look to the agency for food, clothing, shelter, housing, medication and other basic human needs. Interfaith was created by the local faith-based community to care for those in distress. To learn more, call (352) 620-3501 or go to marionseniorservices.org
BROTHER’S KEEPER
The nonprofit is a ministry of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church. It offers emergency services, a soup kitchen and more. Food is available once every two months for those who are disabled, seniors 65+, legal parent or guardian with at least one child under 17 living with them full time, adults employed full time. To learn more, visit the emergency services center/thrift store at 320 NW 10th St., Ocala, call (352) 622-3846 or go to bkocala.org
SALVATION ARMY OCALA
The organization has a social services center at 320 NW 1st Ave., Ocala. It offers food assistance, emergency shelter, transitional housing, halfway housing, homeless resources and family emergency services. To learn more, call (3520 732-8326 or go to ocala.salvationarmyflorida.org
SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
The nonprofit organization works to end hunger across Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties. Each day, more than 300,000 meals are provided for families, kids and seniors facing hunger through a network of feeding partners. To learn more, go to feedhopenow.org
HIS COMPASSION FOOD BANK
According to its website, the organization provided more than 21 million pounds of food and other items in 2022 to seven counties including Marion, Lake, Sumter, Levy, Alachua, Citrus and Putnam. To learn more, call (352) 351-0732 or visit hiscompassionflorida.org
HELP AGENCY OF THE FOREST
Inspired by his own childhood experiences of rural poverty in the Ocala National Forest, David Houck founded the Help Agency of the Forest, Inc. in 1993. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those in need. Sozo Kids is a sponsorship program that provides free food, supplies and access to other programs for children. To learn more, call (352) 299-5830 or go to sozokids.org
THE RIGHT SERVICE AT THE RIGHT TIME
As of July 1, the former 2-1-1 service offered through United Way of Marion County transitioned to The Right Service at the Right Time, which is an online tool used by librarians and library users throughout Florida to find necessary social services and government assistance. To learn more, call (352) 671-8551 or go to uwmc.org and rightservicefl.org
NATIONAL HUNGER HOTLINE
Hunger Free America operates the National Hunger Hotline as a resource for individuals and families seeking information about how to obtain food. The hotline staff connects callers with emergency food providers in their community, government assistance programs and social services. Call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479), text 914-342-7744 or go to fns.usda.gov/national-hunger-hotline
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