With the outlook for SNAP benefits uncertain, food banks are warning of a crisis

Volunteers at the Lutheran Settlement House unload donations of fresh produce and dried goods from the back of a truck on October 30, 2025 in Philadelphia. Starting on Saturday, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits are set to lapse, impacting millions of Americans amid the government shutdown.

More Americans are turning to food banks to help fill the assistance gap, but administrators caution they aren't designed to act as a safety net for a government program.

(Image credit: Matthew Hatcher)