Armstrong directs state funds to ND food programs during shutdown, urges donations to food pantries

BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. Kelly Armstrong today announced he has directed more than $1.5 million in state funds to support food assistance programs during the ongoing federal government shutdown, while also urging North Dakota residents to consider donating food or money to their local food pantries to help meet the needs of those losing federal food assistance.

"The state of North Dakota has the responsibility and the resources to care for its citizens who face a sudden loss of federal food assistance through no fault of their own," Armstrong said. "Through a combination of state contingency funds and private donations, North Dakota can help meet the nutritional needs of our children and families until Congress passes a temporary funding bill to reopen the federal government. We strongly encourage residents to open their hearts, wallets and food pantries to support their local food banks with cash or food donations and help their fellow North Dakotans in their time of need."

Armstrong has directed the state Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide $915,000 in contingency funds to the Great Plains Food Bank, which supplies food and supports a network of nearly 200 partner food pantries, shelters and soup kitchens across the state.

Earlier this week, the Great Plains Food Bank launched an emergency fundraising campaign to source an additional 1 million pounds of food for statewide distribution - on top of the more than 1 million pounds per month it normally distributes even when SNAP is available. The $915,000 in state funds will allow the Great Plains Food Bank to purchase and distribute an additional 450,000 pounds of food in November, enough to assist approximately 24,000 households, said Kate Molbert, interim CEO and chief operating officer of Great Plains Food Bank.

"This allocation of state funds entrusted to our organization will help thousands of North Dakotans keep food on their tables," Molbert said. "We appreciate Gov. Armstrong directing these state resources to equip the Great Plains Food Bank in our mission, and we're thankful for everyone donating food and dollars to ensure that North Dakotans don't go hungry during this government shutdown today or in the weeks and months ahead."

Additionally, Armstrong has directed HHS to use contingency funds to support the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program through the month of November, at an estimated cost of roughly $600,000. Administered by the state, WIC protects the health of low-income women, infants and children up to age 5 by providing supplemental foods, nutrition education and health care referrals. Federal WIC funding for North Dakota is currently expected to run out around Nov. 10.

"Setting up children for success in life begins with proper nutrition at the earliest ages, and the state is pleased to do our part to ensure that infants, toddlers and their mothers have access to healthy food and helpful nutrition education and health care resources," HHS Interim Commissioner Pat Traynor said.

Today's announcement comes as more than 56,000 North Dakotans - about 28,000 households - are at risk of losing their federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on Nov. 1 when federal funding runs out. Of those households, 48% have a child under 18, 30% have school-age children and 26% include someone 60 or older. Current SNAP payments to eligible households in North Dakota total about $10 million per month.

Due to a lack of access to the program infrastructure, the state is unable to use state funding to backfill SNAP benefits. SNAP recipients with remaining balances after Oct. 31 will be able to use the benefits in November.

For more information about Great Plains Food Bank, including a map and list of its partner food pantries by county, visit https://greatplainsfoodbank.org/get-help/partner-food-pantries/. Information about WIC and other assistance programs is available on the HHS website and at www.ndresponse.gov.

Armstrong, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives as North Dakota's lone congressman from 2018 to 2024, urged U.S. Senate Democrats to join their Republican counterparts in passing a clean continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily fund the government until Congress can approve budgets through the regular appropriations process.

"Major policy debates don't get settled during a shutdown, and Democrats know this because they passed the same short-term funding extension 13 times during the Biden administration," Armstrong said. "Senate Democrats need to stop holding the government hostage and pass a clean CR so Congress can get back to work and end this uncertainty for Americans who are just worried about putting food on the table for their children and families."