When crises hit, America turns to its food banks. During COVID-19, organizations like Farm Share helped keep families fed through long months of uncertainty. We stayed because people needed us — through a pandemic, record price spikes, and storm seasons that seemed to arrive faster and hit harder. We will always be there for our neighbors.

But we first need to be honest with the public: food banks cannot replace the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — not for a week, not for a month, and certainly not for the millions of households who rely on it to buy groceries. SNAP is the country’s first line of defense against hunger, reaching more than 41 million people each month on average. That includes seniors, children, veterans, and working families who are doing everything right but still balancing rent, gas, and the rising cost of food.

As the federal shutdown drags on, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has warned that November SNAP benefits will not go out unless Congress and the Administration reopen the government. The program costs roughly $8–9 billion per month. Even if every food bank in America worked around the clock, we could not fill a gap that large. We wish we could. We cannot.

The consequences are immediate and personal. In Florida, nearly half of households are either in poverty or struggle to afford the basics even while working. When benefits vanish, parents start skipping meals so children can eat. Seniors with fixed incomes stretch prescriptions and pantries at the same time. Grocery dollars disappear from local stores. Lines at food distributions lengthen overnight. Volunteers and staff are incredible — but they are not a replacement for a functioning federal safety net.

This is not a partisan argument. It is a practical one. Emergency food charities were built to respond to disasters with the federal government, not instead of it. During hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, we coordinate with public agencies to deliver food where it’s needed most. During the pandemic, we stood up new distribution models in days because federal nutrition programs were still flowing. That teamwork works. It saves lives. It stabilizes communities.

Today, that partnership is strained to the breaking point. Food banks are already stretched by higher demand and higher costs. If SNAP and WIC falter, the math does not add up: charities cannot conjure billions of dollars in grocery purchases on short notice. No state, city, or nonprofit network can.

So here is our ask, stated as plainly as possible:

Reopen the federal government immediately and ensure uninterrupted SNAP and WIC benefits.

Protect and fully fund federal nutrition programs so they can do what they do best — keep families fed and local economies steady.

Use every available administrative option to prevent lapses in benefits and publicly commit to reimbursing states that step in temporarily.

Bolster the emergency food pipeline — including USDA commodity foods — so food banks can handle short-term surges without pulling resources from other vulnerable communities.

And to our friends and neighbors: if you are able, please donate or volunteer with your local food bank. Your support helps us bridge crises and reach people who fall through the cracks. But don’t let anyone tell you that philanthropy can replace policy. Charity is essential; policy is decisive. The most effective way to prevent hunger next month is to restore the benefits that prevent it every month.

Food banks will continue to show up — rain or shine, shutdown or not — because that is our mission. We are proud to do it. But we cannot “save the day” alone this time. Congress and the administration must do their part so families can do theirs. Reopen government. Keep the benefits flowing. Prevent the harm.

That’s how communities get through hard times — together.

___

Farm Share is a statewide food recovery and distribution organization based in Homestead. It works with farmers, growers, and distributors to collect surplus produce and other goods that would otherwise go to waste, delivering them to food banks, churches, and community organizations for free distribution to families in need. Founded in 1991, Farm Share operates multiple warehouses across Florida and plays a critical role in disaster relief and hunger prevention, especially during hurricanes and economic downturns.