UPDATE – 12 Nov. 2025, 5:30 p.m. – Following the writing of this article, the government shutdown has officially ended and President Trump has since withdrawn requests to withhold SNAP benefits during the shutdown.
In light of the government shutdown, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food stamps for roughly 42 million Americans, has been delayed and reduced, causing worry and uncertainty in low income households.
According to an announcement on the USDA website, “due to the limited availability of Federal funding and orders from two Federal courts, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is reducing SNAP maximum allotments to 50 percent of the eligible household’s current allotment for November 2025 in accordance with 7 CFR 271.7.”
With cuts to federal food assistance, local communities are fighting to provide resources and temporary help for those in need. The Walla Walla Valley Hunger Relief Coalition (WWVHRC) which consists of over 30 local organizations coordinated by the Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC), has launched a temporary food card program in response to federal SNAP disruptions.
BMAC partners with local organizations to alleviate poverty in the Walla Walla Valley and coordinated the coalition in direct response to SNAP reductions.
In a press release on Nov. 4, the coalition thanked “collaborative fundraising efforts of the WWVHRC, the generosity of local donors and emergency grant funding from the state” for funding the food card program.
According to the announcement, “the WWVHRC effort currently has $115,000 to purchase food and food cards for households in Walla Walla, Columbia and Garfield counties. The number of cards distributed per household will vary based on household size, with a minimum allocation of $50 per household and will be purchased for use at local grocery stores.”
CEO of BMAC Danielle Garbe Reser explained that the food cards rely on community contributions, stressing that this is a temporary solution.
“We know that our communities rally and come together when there is need, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who has already given,” Reser said. “While we will not be able to help every household immediately, these food cards are a responsive effort to help individuals and families put food on the table as we await federal action.”
On Whitman’s campus, students, faculty and staff grapple with reductions and emphasize local resources like food pantries for those in need of food assistance. Calliope Willis, a First Generation Working Class (FGWC) student coordinator, shared her personal experience with food insecurity.
“Me and my family have benefited from food banks and having just that little bit of extra food was very helpful,” Willis said, “As FGWC student coordinator, I know that a lot of people rely on SNAP. Personally, I have seen what SNAP has done for people especially in our age group.”
On campus, the Glover Alston Intercultural Center (GAIC) contains the Whitman College Food Pantry and it is open to students in need. The pantry currently has a multitude of non-perishables available for students to take as needed.
“We are working everyday to get more and more food in there,” Willis said.
As discourse continues at a national level, experts from across the aisle have voiced concerns regarding the shutdown’s effects, and whether or not the government has an obligation to keep certain services up and running.
Whitman Associate Professor of Politics Susanne Beechey clarifies access to food as a basic human right.
“Eating is not something that can wait until Congress decides to go back to work,” Beechey said.
Beechey’s work focuses on social policies and policy debates. Her book “Social Security and the Politics of Deservingness,” analyzes Social Security policy debate.
“In the US, there are many ideas about what the role of government should be. I believe the government should help the people, and providing basic assistance for food seems like the minimum. Others disagree with me,” Beechey said.
The Washington State Department of Health and Social Services (DSHS) transferred $2.2 million from the state funded Food Assistance Program to the Washington State Department of Agriculture for emergency food assistance to support projects like the WWVHRC’s food card program.
“This shutdown is absolutely a choice being made within Congress. Many other compromises were possible,” Beechey said. “The responses of the current administration reflect choices. We should ask what they might imagine they gain by not funding basic food assistance for Americans.”
As of Friday, Nov. 7, Senate Democrats proposed a temporary end to the shutdown with a deal extending health care tax credits to reduce the cost of health insurance premiums. Senate Republicans rejected the deal, continuing the shutdown and its consequences on SNAP funding.
“It’s not hurting whoever [the government thinks] the enemy is. It is hurting children. It is hurting the children that they swore to protect,” Willis said.
In addition to grant funding, the WWVHRC is accepting donations of shelf-stable food items and welcomes all contributions.
“Please continue to check that website for ways to request help, get community updates, learn about resources on where to donate food, and in the future, ways to volunteer,” Reser said. “We appreciate all the ways the Whitman Glean Team and Food Justice groups have supported the BMAC Food Bank. This is an amazingly collaborative community, and we are grateful for all the ways people are giving back and helping each other.”
“Even with SNAP benefits, there is still a shocking rate of hunger and food insecurity in our country. The network of food banks and community food pantries are evidence of that ongoing unmet need. The good news is that this network of support can be used to help in this moment, but it requires support from all of us,” Beechey said.
In the face of uncertainty, organizations like BMAC and the Walla Walla Valley Hunger Relief Coalition continue to work together in support of those affected by SNAP cuts.
