Hunger Action Day: Texas leaders call for action to protect SNAP
On Hunger Action Day, Feeding Texas brought advocates, community leaders and partners together at the Texas Capitol with 3 key messages:
- To Congress: delay the SNAP benefit cost-share requirement and give Texas the time it needs to prepare.
- To Texas legislators: keep SNAP funded, invest in effective administration, and protect access to one of the most successful anti-hunger programs we have.
- And to Texans: stay engaged, stay informed, and make your voice heard.
Nearly 1 in 5 Texans, or more than 6 million Texans, face food insecurity, meaning they do not have consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. SNAP helps nearly 3 million Texans afford groceries while supporting local retailers, farmers and economies across the state.
The press conference highlighted how access to nutritious food connects to the health, stability and strength of Texas communities. Speakers representing food banks, health care, faith communities and local food systems shared how hunger shows up across Texas and why addressing it requires all of us working together.
Watch the Hunger Action Day press conference
Hear directly from Texas leaders about the state of hunger, the importance of SNAP, and the role every person can play in helping neighbors access the food they need.
Speakers included:
- Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas
- Bill Stubblefield, Pastor at Difference Makers Fellowship
- Dina Jeffries, CEO of the South Plains Food Bank
- Charles W. Mathias, Ph.D., director of the Texas Consortium for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health
- Simone Benz, policy and advocacy director at Sustainable Food Center
- Theresa Mangapora, executive director of the Brazos Valley Food Bank and board chair of Feeding Texas
- Kai Ryan, bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
Together, they shared perspectives from communities across Texas and reinforced a common message: hunger affects every part of the state, and no single organization or sector can address it alone.
What is changing
Recent federal changes could require Texas to pay a portion of SNAP benefit costs beginning in fiscal year 2028. Current estimates show that the potential SNAP cost share could require $770 million annually to keep the program fully funded.
This potential cost creates uncertainty for a program that helps millions of Texans access food. Changes to SNAP could also affect food banks, health care providers, farmers, retailers and other community organizations that are part of the broader system supporting Texas families.
Feeding Texas is urging Congress to delay the SNAP benefit cost-share requirement for two years. This would give Texas more time to improve payment accuracy, strengthen the systems that administer SNAP, and prepare for the new financial responsibility without putting food access at greater risk.
Feeding Texas is also asking state leaders to keep SNAP fully funded, invest in effective program administration, and ensure Texas is prepared to meet these new federal requirements without shifting the burden onto families already struggling to afford groceries.
Why SNAP matters across Texas
SNAP is more than an individual benefit. It is part of a connected system that helps families afford groceries, supports community retailers, and strengthens local economies.
At the press conference, speakers reflected on that system from several perspectives:
- Food banks: Texas food banks provide essential support, connect neighbors with resources and respond when community needs rise. However, charitable food distribution cannot replace SNAP. For every meal provided through food banks, SNAP provides nine.
- Rural communities: People in rural areas may travel significant distances to reach food, services, and other resources. SNAP allows families to purchase food where they live while supporting retailers that are important to rural communities.
- Health: Reliable access to nutritious food supports individual and community health. When eligible Texans face barriers to nutrition assistance, health care providers and community organizations may encounter additional challenges meeting people’s needs. This also impacts the bottom line. Texas is forced to spend more on health care when families cannot afford the healthy food they need to thrive.
- Local food systems: When SNAP dollars are spent at farmers markets, farm stands, and local retailers, they help create demand for locally grown food. Those purchases generate revenue for farmers, support small agricultural businesses, and keep food dollars circulating within local communities.
- Faith and community partnerships: Faith communities and other local partners help bring people together, raise awareness, and connect neighbors with support. Their participation reflects the shared responsibility Texans have to help ensure everyone can access the food they need.
Food banks will continue to show up for their communities, but they cannot fill the gap SNAP would leave behind. Ending hunger requires partnership among government, nonprofits, businesses, community organizations, and individual Texans.
Take action today
Congress can give Texas the time it needs to prepare while protecting food access for millions of Texans.
Send a letter to your congressional representatives and ask them to support a two-year delay of the SNAP benefit cost-share requirement.
Send a letter to Congress
Every action matters. Texans can also support the movement by volunteering with a local food bank, donating, sharing reliable information about hunger, or starting a conversation in their community.
Working together, Texas can protect access to food and continue building communities where every neighbor has the resources they need to thrive.
- Tags:
- SNAP
