FRANKLIN — More than 690,000 Tennessee residents who rely on federal food assistance will not receive their November benefits due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, have begun receiving notification calls from the Department of Human Services (DHS) informing them their benefits will not be distributed this month.
“In fact, my friend received a call yesterday from DHS to tell her she will not have benefits in November,” said Beth Moore, compassion ministry specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. “She and so many like her in our communities, including children, single moms, and senior adults, are wondering if they will have food next week.”
The interruption in benefits highlights the broader crisis that affects more than 1 million Tennesseans — roughly one in six residents — who face food insecurity daily. Among them are approximately 300,000 children, representing one in five Tennessee children who do not know where their next meal will come from.
Even if the shutdown resolves quickly, Moore said the timing creates urgency for immediate community response.
“This is a Matthew 25 moment for Tennessee Baptists,” she said, referencing Matthew 25:35 which says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
SNAP recipients typically receive their benefits between the first and 25th of each month based on their Social Security numbers, meaning the impact will be staggered until benefits resume.
Moore outlined several ways churches can respond:
- Ensure congregation members receiving SNAP have access to food through grocery store trips, gift cards, food boxes or prepared meals
- Host community meals
- Donate to local food banks after consulting their needs lists
Beth Moore
TBMB can provide financial support to feeding ministries statewide through donations from the Golden Offering, Cooperative Program and Tennessee Hunger Funds, Moore said. Additional resources, including Compassion Ministry’s Feeding Ministry Serve Guide, are available online.
Those seeking to donate time, food, or money to local food banks can also find information at feedtn.org.
Churches offering feeding ministries who need assistance can contact Moore at 423-440-6225 or bmoore@tnbaptist.org.
