Topline
Instacart announced Friday that it will offer a 50% grocery discount for customers who are eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, joining a host of other food companies, retailers, and celebrities to provide relief for low-income families as the government is set to halt food assistance programs.
Key Facts
Instacart said customers who place an order in October with a SNAP/EBT card will be eligible for a 50% discount of up to $50, as the food delivery firm committed up to $5 million in nationwide relief to low-income families.
An estimated 42 million Americans will lose access to federal funding for food benefits starting November 1, as SNAP runs out of money due to the government shutdown. Other food companies, retailers, and celebrities are also stepping in to fill the gap that would be left from federal programs by donating food, money and resources for those on federal assistance.
Doordash launched an emergency food response program to deliver over 1 million free meals through food banks and waive fees for SNAP recipients who order groceries through the Doordash app.
Gopuff is donating up to $10 million by offering a $50 credit to SNAP-eligible customers to purchase groceries on their platform.
Albertsons is sending $13 million in gift-cards to food banks to distribute to those in need of food assistance at more than 100 food bank locations.
H-E-B donated $5 million to support Texas food banks and made a $1 million donation to the Meals on Wheels program that delivers food to senior residents in the state.
Food influencer and critic Keith Lee called for companies to partner with him on Tiktok to give away food to those in need during the holiday season—with Doordash, Idahoan Foods, Drip Drop Hydration and Sweet Thangs New Orleans all responding with interest in participating.
Former WWE Champion Big E announced he would be donating all his income from cameo to Feeding America, a nonprofit network of more than 200 food banks.This list will continue to be updated.
Which states are stepping in to provide aid?
Many states have taken it upon themselves to provide food assistance to help residents who would lose access to SNAP benefits. Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island have all declared a state of emergency over the loss of SNAP benefits to their residents. Others like Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and West Virginia have employed tactics like deploying emergency funds to fill funding gaps, signing executive orders to direct funding toward food banks, and mobilizing national guard troops to prepare and distribute food in preparation for the funding stoppage.
Key Background
The government shutdown has led to the impending suspension of federal food assistance programs on November 1 due to depleting funds, the USDA said in a memo last week. The agency displayed a message on its website indicating no SNAP benefits will be issued after Nov. 1. SNAP costs the federal government $99.8 billion annually, or roughly $8.3 billion per month. Some states have taken steps to keep providing SNAP benefits to recipients despite the USDA saying the states would not be reimbursed for footing the bill. More than two dozen attorneys and governors filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the Trump administration over the decision to suspend food assistance, claiming it violated federal spending laws. Last week, thousands of federal workers missed their paychecks, and have continued to work without pay, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. President Donald Trump called for congressional Republicans to end the shutdown by removing the Senate filibuster in a Truth Social post Thursday.
Tangent
A federal judge in Boston said Thursday she would probably take steps to order the Trump administration to use reserves to continue to provide food assistance for the millions of low-income Americans reliant on the program.
Further Reading
