Agency Access

Find Food
Donate Now
Volunteer

Government Shutdown

We are continuing to monitor the government shutdown. Here are a few things that may be helpful to know:

First, the Food Bank will remain open and maintain regular hours. the Food Bank is an independent nonprofit, not a government agency.

Our doors are open to all of Northeast Tennessee’s agency partners and food programs. Second Harvest of Northeast Tennessee will do all it can to help individuals and families get the food they need during a government shutdown and beyond. If you or someone you know finds themselves in need of food, please don’t hesitate to come and get food. Learn more here: https://netfoodbank.org.

In the event of a shutdown, SNAP benefits should be delivered in full and on their normal monthly issuance schedule at least through October. WIC benefits and services should be available during a short shutdown. Please feel free to contact the Tennessee Department of Human Services for more information.

 How a Government Shutdown Will Increase Food Insecurity

Each month, millions of people trust that federal nutrition programs will be there to help them through tough times—a government shutdown threatens benefits in these programs and harms individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. Additionally, a shutdown could have a devastating impact on millions of civilian and military federal employees and federal contractors. If these workers miss paychecks, it could jeopardize their ability to put food on the table for themselves and their families and cover other household expenses. During previous shutdowns, food banks across the country saw large spikes in demand for emergency food assistance, with many people seeking help for the first time.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee urges Congress to reach an agreement to pass fiscal year 2026 appropriations legislation or a continuing resolution that provides full funding for nutrition programs.

 How will a shutdown affect federal nutrition programs?
A shutdown jeopardizes vital federal nutrition programs, potentially leaving individuals and families in your district and across the country with delayed, reduced or even zero benefits.

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A shutdown has the potential to disrupt SNAP benefits for families if there is a lack of funding, a delay in processing benefits, or both. As food prices remain high, confusion around SNAP benefit timing or the sudden loss of this grocery purchasing support would jeopardize food access for roughly 42 million people who receive support from SNAP.
  • USDA commodity food purchases and administrative funds: During a shutdown, families lose access to essential food from the USDA. Food banks cannot place new food orders through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), and TEFAP storage and distribution funds for fiscal year 2026 will be delayed. This slows the order and delivery of USDA foods, impacting families who need them and the farmers who sell them to USDA. Additionally, food deliveries and administrative funds for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) could be disrupted. During previous shutdowns, FDPIR sites facing funding gaps were forced to furlough workers, which had a cascading impact that interrupted food deliveries and distributions to individuals and families.
  • Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): The WIC program currently serves nearly 6.9 million pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children. A shutdown that disrupts nutrition benefits and other WIC services would put young children at risk of hunger during a time of critical developmental importance.
  • Child nutrition programs: A prolonged shutdown threatens the timing of funding reimbursements and general support for child nutrition programs, including school breakfast and lunch as well as afterschool meals provided through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), due to the impact of federal workers being furloughed.

How will a shutdown affect individuals and families?
During a government shutdown, civilian and military federal employees and federal contractors will suddenly face impossible choices—not knowing if paychecks or food benefits will come on time. Food banks will be the first, and potentially only, option for assistance for millions of people whose paychecks or federal benefits do not arrive as expected in October. 

How will a shutdown affect food banks?
At a time when food insecurity remains high and families are turning to food banks in greater numbers, food banks are working to meet sustained demand while navigating serious challenges—from increased food and transportation costs to significant decreases in USDA foods. A Feeding America survey found that around 65% of responding food banks reported seeing demand for food assistance increase or stay the same in June 2025 compared to May 2025. A shutdown will likely lead to an even greater demand for food assistance.

Impact of the 2018 Government Shutdown
The partial government shutdown in 2018 lasted 35 days. All federal employees who missed paychecks were eventually repaid, but federal contractors were not. Over a million contractors lost more than 10% of their annual income during this shutdown.
The timeline for loading SNAP benefits onto EBT cards was disrupted for the first time in history for all 40 million participants, creating mass confusion and challenges to family budgeting.

 How to take action

  • Contact your Federal Elected Officials
    • Federal Elected Officials to contact
    • Ask them to vote for a budget and end the shutdown
      • Ask them to support Sen. Hawley’s legislation (As of 10/27 Blackburn is now co-sponsor)
        • Keep SNAP Funded Act – Would ensure full funding during the shutdown
        • (House version is Sponsored by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks)
      • Ask them to encourage the USDA to utilize surplus funds to provide November SNAP benefit
  • Contact State Officials
    • Governor Bill Lee
      • Phone: (615) 741-2001
      • https://www.tn.gov/governor/contact-us.html
      • Ask Governor to use TN Rainy Day Funds to help fund SNAP for November and allocate additional funding to food banks to purchase food for our neighbors
    • Ask your state representative and state senator to encourage Governor Lee regarding these 2 state asks.
  • Tell your Friends and Neighbors How They can Advocate for our Neighbors
  • Use Social Media – if you have accounts share posts from Feeding America, Second Harvest and other partners  (Tag elected officials)
  • Please contact Cecile Wimberley, Advocacy Manager if you have any questions regarding these advocacy requests at advocacy@netfoodbank.org

 

Check back soon for more information and resources during the shutdown