On Nov. 1, thousands of Kentuckians saw their lifeline for food assistance abruptly cut.
Nearly 650,000 people in Kentucky receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The initiative, more commonly known as food stamps, provides funds for low-income households to buy food. It is one of several federal nutrition programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the school meals program.
Amid the ongoing government shutdown, now the longest in American history, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that benefits would cease on Nov. 1 due to the federal lapse in funding.
After a court ordered the Trump administration to restart the SNAP program, the USDA announced plans to partially fund state benefits in November through a contingency fund. However, eligible households will only receive 50% of their typical benefits. Recipients may also face delays because states have stopped the process of issuing November benefits. On Thursday, a federal court told the Trump administration it must pay for food stamps in full, but the Justice Department immediately announced plans to appeal.
This has left some Louisville families scrambling to put food on the table.
According to 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, around one in 10 households in Jefferson County receive food stamps.
Terina Edington, the JCPS executive administrator for school and community nutrition services, reports the district has seen a 1% increase in school lunch participation since the government shutdown began, a significant change considering the population of 100,000 students.
“In Jefferson County, more than 60% of our students qualify for free and reduced meal benefits,” Edington said. “So food insecurity is definitely something that many of our students face on a daily basis.”
Edington predicts that this crisis will only worsen as the lack of funding for SNAP continues. For families facing food insecurity, she encourages students to eat free school breakfast and lunch or participate in the district’s after-school enrichment programs that provide dinner. JCPS guarantees free breakfast and lunch at all schools through the Community Eligibility program, and it will continue to do so through at least November.
“We have about almost a hundred thousand students and we can feed them,” Edington said. “If parents know their kids are getting food at school every day, it helps to alleviate some of that stress knowing that their kids will be able to eat.”
The district has made preparations for a surge in demand following the loss of SNAP benefits. The district has advised managers have been advised to prep extra food in advance and to have additional breakfast items available. Edington is also confident in the JCPS central kitchen’s ability to deliver food items quickly to schools.
“If a school saw a huge spike, then we would be able to send that food out to them,” Edington said. “For the most part, we should be able to handle that with no problem.”
Edington wants lawmakers to understand the impact of federal policies on the students of Louisville.
“I think it’s very easy for people that make policies to not understand how it directly impacts the communities that they are supposed to be serving,” Edington said. “I think that having nutritious food to eat is a human right, and it’s something that all citizens should have here in the United States.”
Sarah Weatherwax is the executive director of Community Catholic Center (CCC), a non-profit organization that supports families in Portland and the West End who send their children to Catholic schools.
CCC offers a food pantry and Kroger gift cards to support families in need of food assistance. Since 20% of the families they serve receive SNAP benefits, Weatherwax predicts an increase in the number of families needing nutrition support.
“I anticipate that we are going to have more requests, especially going into the holiday season,” Weatherwax said. “There’s only so much funds to go around, and without SNAP support, they’re going to be hurting.”
CCC recently hosted a Thanksgiving meal sponsored by the Catholic Education Foundation, and it has several upcoming events to promote food access, including a workshop with Dare to Care on healthy cooking and affordable groceries. This work is all tied to CCC’s central mission to help students succeed inside and outside of the classroom.
“Hunger and food insecurity affects so many more nuanced areas of life, just other than the dinner table,” Weatherwax said. “It affects family relationships, education, brain functioning, academic thriving, behavior, social emotional relationships and interpersonal communications. It’s all tied to food and health and nutrition.”
To support families during this time, JCPS is partnering with Dare to Care to host a districtwide food and fund drive. Donation boxes will be available at every JCPS school and education building.
To donate online to the JCPS Community Fund Drive, click here.
To find locations offering food assistance near you, visit Dare to Care’s “Get Help” page. You can customize the search to find resources that match your availability.
