Governor Stein Volunteers at Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, Presents $3.34 Million Donation As SNAP Benefits Stall

Today Governor Josh Stein and Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt joined state and elected local officials in volunteering at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina as federal food assistance continues to stall. During his visit, Governor Stein presented a $3.34 million check from the State of North Carolina, part of his ongoing initiative to surge public and private donations to food banks.

"Like all food banks across North Carolina, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina serves as a critical backstop preventing people from going hungry," said Governor Josh Stein. "I am proud of our work to support their efforts, but only federal action can truly fill the gap and keep people fed."

Over the past two weeks, Governor Stein has led a public-private partnership to push nearly $22 million in food donations to food banks. These efforts come as changing guidance from the USDA leaves families uncertain of their access to food.

After issuing partial November SNAP benefits to North Carolinians on Friday morning, NCDHHS was on track to issue the remaining full benefits over the weekend. However, due to the White House decision to appeal a court order that would have provided full benefits, NCDHHS paused this effort.

NCDHHS worked around the clock this week to ensure SNAP benefits could be issued as quickly as possible. On Friday, following initial guidance from the USDA, partial November SNAP benefits were distributed at approximately 65% of the normal maximum allotment for more than 586,000 households. Households that typically receive the maximum amount saw their benefits reduced by 35%, while those that normally receive less experienced even deeper reductions. Thousands of households received no benefits at all due to the USDA's SNAP benefit formula. In total, about 190,000 North Carolina households received $16 or less on their EBT cards on Friday.

NCDHHS is communicating directly with beneficiaries and people who are impacted and posting regular updates on the NCDHHS website dedicated to the federal government shutdown. NCDHHS is also updating the SNAP website to include more details and an FAQ.

NCDHHS is providing the following guidance for people who depend on food and nutrition benefits:

Keep Checking: North Carolina SNAP beneficiaries should continue to check the balance on their EBT cards. Any benefits on your EBT card are available to use. Check your balance on the ebtEDGE app, at ebtEDGE.com, or by calling the number on the back of your card (1-888-622-7328).

Continue to Apply and Renew: All residents should continue to apply for SNAP benefits and submit renewal paperwork on time. County DSS offices remain open and are processing all applications.

For Food Assistance: If you or your family is in immediate need for food resources, please call 2-1-1 to be connected with local resources. You can also visit the NCDHHS website dedicated to food access to find a food pantry closest to you.

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