As government-funded food assistance program such as SNAP and WIC are about to lose funding Nov. 1, 2025, due to the government shutdown, Catholic Charities USA is stepping in to help needy Americans. / Credit: rblfmr/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 30, 2025 / 14:05 pm (CNA).
Catholic Charities USA has launched an emergency fundraising effort to support those about to lose access to federal food assistance in the coming days.
Due to the ongoing government shutdown, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will lapse on Nov. 1, meaning millions of Americans will no longer have access to food assistance.
“For low-income families and individuals who rely on SNAP and WIC to put food on their tables, this could be a catastrophic moment,” Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson said in an Oct. 30 press release announcing the emergency effort. “The Catholic Charities network stands ready to come to the aid of our vulnerable brothers and sisters during this time of dire need.”
Contributions made to CCUSA’s designated donation portal will go directly toward helping “provide meals for those most at risk.” The group will use the donated funds to buy and ship food to its agencies across the country that have food pantries, soup kitchens, and food delivery programs, the release stated.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), SNAP “served an average of 41.7 million people per month, or 12.3% of U.S. residents,” in the 2024 fiscal year. Funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will also cease on Nov. 1.
“The ongoing government shutdown is not merely a political negotiation. It has created incredibly serious, real-life consequences for millions of people, from furloughed federal workers to those living in poverty who will now struggle even more to provide for their families,” Robinson continued.
The cessation of funding comes amid reports that the USDA has “quietly deleted” its contingency plan to keep SNAP afloat in the event of a government shutdown. The USDA has said it will not use previously designated contingency funds to support the program in the 2026 financial year, according to a memo obtained by Axios. “The contingency fund is not available to support [fiscal year] 2026 regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists,” the memo states.
While CCUSA pledged to help those affected by the lapse in funding, the organization pointed out that Catholic Charities agencies and other food insecurity programs “are already stretched thin” and that the funding gap “will lead to an immediate and even greater surge of demand around the country.”
“It is past time for congressional leaders of both parties and the administration to forge a bipartisan path to reopen the government and provide relief to all those who are suffering,” Robinson said. “In the meantime, Catholic Charities agencies will continue to live out their Gospel call to provide compassionate, merciful aid to those most in need in their communities.”
