Governor Stein Highlights Work to Keep North Carolinians Fed During Hunger Action Month

Today Governor Josh Stein proclaimed September as Hunger Action Month. More than 1.7 million North Carolinians face hunger each year, including more than 504,000 children. As H.R. 1 continues to create challenges for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Governor Stein is committed to ensuring families can put food on the table across North Carolina.

"As grocery bills continue to rise, hunger affects more and more North Carolinians," said Governor Josh Stein. "Hunger Action Month reminds us to continue our work to not let anyone go hungry and to commend the essential work of the people who help folks put food on the table in North Carolina."

Food banks are central to North Carolina's work to keep people fed. Last year, the Feeding the Carolinas network of seven regional foodbanks serving communities across our state reported 250 million meals distributed over one year. In July, Governor Stein signed a budget providing more than $9 million for food banks - funding that will also support North Carolina farmers. When the federal government shutdown disrupted SNAP benefits in November 2025, Governor Stein leveraged $22 million from public and private partners to support food banks across the state.

Protecting SNAP Across North Carolina

Governor Stein is committed to protecting North Carolinians' access to SNAP benefits as H.R. 1 puts the program at risk by shifting millions of dollars in costs to states and counties. Nearly 1.25 million North Carolinians, including hundreds of thousands of children, veterans, people with disabilities, older adults, and working families, rely on SNAP benefits to afford the rising cost of groceries.

As a result of H.R. 1:

• Beginning October 1, 2026, the federal government will permanently shift an additional quarter of SNAP administrative costs to the state and counties, an estimated additional $85 million borne by North Carolina taxpayers each year to run the SNAP program.
• Beginning October 1, 2027, the federal government will no longer cover 100% of the cost of SNAP benefits as it has for the program's entire history. States will be expected to pay up to 15% of the benefit costs depending on their SNAP payment error rate, and as a result North Carolina may be responsible for paying $140 million or more each year to continue offering SNAP benefits. This significant new financial burden could result in states having to drop out of SNAP altogether when an economic downturn occurs and need is greatest.

Governor Stein has consistently advocated to protect SNAP since the federal government proposed cuts to the program in 2025 and has called on the federal government to delay its implementation of unprecedented federal SNAP cost-share changes. While the General Assembly accepted Governor Stein's recommendations to increase funding for the state's administrative costs and invest in state-level automation and staffing to reduce SNAP payment errors, it did not take up his proposal to help county departments of social services respond to increased workloads and costs caused by H.R. 1.

NCDHHS has worked aggressively and in close partnership with county DSS agencies to provide excellent service to beneficiaries while successfully decreasing North Carolina's payment error rate to reduce the benefit cost share penalty owed in 2027. As a result of these efforts, North Carolina decreased its benefit cost share by $280 million in just one year.

Keeping Children Fed

One in five North Carolina children live in households without consistent access to food. In July, Governor Stein signed into law a state budget that fully funds SUN Bucks for the summer of 2027. The SUN Bucks program helps families afford groceries when school is out, providing nutritious food for more than a million North Carolina children throughout the summer. While private philanthropies have stepped in during recent years to help the state cover its share required to activate the federal program, this year's budget includes state funding to operate SUN Bucks in the summer of 2027. The SUN Bucks program delivers a 25:1 return on investment, with the state receiving $25 from the federal government for every dollar contributed, ultimately bringing about $125 million to a million North Carolina children for food each summer.

Click here to read Governor Stein's proclamation declaring Hunger Action Month.