H-E-B donates $5 million to Texas food banks as millions will lose SNAP benefits for November

Published 4:00 am Wednesday, October 29, 2025

With the federal government shutdown continuing and no end in sight, the people are feeling the effects. Starting in November, those receiving SNAP benefits will not receive them, and have to meet new criteria.

In Victoria County alone, 6,615 households and 14,444 people rely on SNAP benefits to put food on their tables. Across Texas, over 3.5 million people will not receive their benefits.

On Oct. 24, H-E-B announced that it would be donating $5 million to Feeding Texas, an organization that supports food banks across Texas. The Food Bank of the Golden Crescent, Victoria’s local food bank is working to bridge the gap for those in need. TFBGC will receive a donation of $230,000 from H-E-B, giving them much-needed resources to keep people from going hungry.

“The impact of this shutdown is being felt deeply across the Golden Crescent,” said Robin Cadle, President & CEO of the Food Bank of the Golden Crescent in a press release. “We’re seeing families who’ve never needed help before suddenly turning to us because paychecks or benefits are delayed. Our community is resilient, but the need is growing faster than our resources. We are committed to doing everything we can to make sure no one goes hungry, and we’re calling on our neighbors, partners, and local leaders to join us in responding with compassion and urgency.”

TFBGC serves 11 counties and 42,210 individuals, estimating that 1,508 people per day will face the impact of SNAP delays. Based on data from August 2025, over $7 million went to households receiving SNAP benefits.

Feeding Texas also reported that half of the SNAP participants are under 18 years of age.

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TFBCG will not only see the impact on those receiving SNAP benefits, but on additional food insecure people it serves. TFBGC currently serves around 54,000 people monthly.

“When you consider that the vast majority of SNAP recipients are children, seniors, and people with disabilities, the stakes become painfully clear,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, “These are our neighbors, our grandparents, our kids. A delay in benefits isn’t just inconvenient- it’s devastating. It means empty pantries, skipped meals, and added stress for families already living on the edge. Communities across Texas will feel the ripple effects, from our schools to our local economies. This is a moment that demands urgent action and compassion.”

The SNAP program provides benefits on a rolling basis for the first 28 days of each month. With the government shutdown stretching to the 28th, the program does not have the resources to distribute benefits for November.

According to August data, over $614 million in food benefits will be lost statewide. For TFBGC, over $7 million in food benefits will be lost. The average family receives $356.55 in benefits monthly.

“One missed paycheck can mean an empty fridge,” Cole said. “Meanwhile, SNAP is a lifeline for millions of Texans, and that lifeline may be paused for the foreseeable future. Food banks will be the first source of emergency food support for millions of Texans whose paychecks or federal benefits may not arrive as expected. This kind of disruption doesn’t just affect individuals — it reverberates through entire communities, straining local resources and deepening hardship for those already struggling to make ends meet.”

Many food banks across Texas are hosting targeted food distributions in areas with a high concentration of federal employees, as they are not receiving a paycheck.

Cole added that Feeding Texas’s main goal is to ensure that no Texan goes hungry. Cadle added that while the support is necessary and helpful, there is more need than there are resources, and TFBCG is leaning on everyone they can to keep the community fed.

Lindsey Plotkin is a multimedia reporter at the Victoria Advocate. She can be reached at lindsey.plotkin@vicad.com.