Millions of Americans who rely on federal food assistance are facing growing uncertainty as the government shutdown threatens to cut off funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which supports roughly one in eight citizens.

Among those is Eric Dunham, a 36-year-old father of two who was left disabled after an accident. He depends on food stamps to survive.

“If I don’t get food stamps I can’t eat,” Dunham told AFP, explaining that after paying his monthly expenses, he has just $24 left. “That’s it,” he said. “The rest goes to child support.”

The shutdown began on October 1 amid a standoff in Congress between Republicans and Democrats over the federal budget. President Donald Trump’s administration said SNAP would run out of funds by Saturday, marking the first such interruption in the program’s 60-year history.

A federal judge intervened on Friday, ordering the government to tap emergency funds to keep the program running. Trump said he would comply, but many families still saw their assistance disrupted amid bureaucratic confusion and delays.

Restaurants, communities step in

In northwest Houston, Dunham was among several residents who received sandwiches and drinks from Petit Beignets and Tapioca, a local restaurant stepping in to help.

“There’s a lot of layoffs going around, and on top of that, we have the government shutdown and the SNAP benefits; nobody knew what was going to happen,” said the restaurant’s owner, 37-year-old Nhan Ngo. “I made sandwiches for someone who comes and has SNAP benefits, and at least can have one meal for sure.”

Dunham couldn’t pay with his SNAP card but hugged Ngo in gratitude.

Elsewhere in Houston, thousands of people who had not received their benefits lined up in cars outside NRG Stadium, where the Houston Food Bank distributed fruit and non-perishable goods.

The food bank’s president, Brian Greene, said the SNAP suspension affects “about 425,000 households just in the Houston area.”

“So every community is trying to step up to help these families get by in the meantime,” he added.

Despite the court order to restart the program, Greene noted it would take several days before states could resume payments: “They all had to stop because they were out of money.”

Sandra Guzman, a 36-year-old mother of two, said she had placed her food-stamp order last week only to be told there were no funds available.

“This is not something extraordinary or luxurious, this is something basic as getting food for my kids,” she said. “I’ll say food stamps represent 40 percent … of my expenses.”

Growing anxiety, anger

For many, the suspension has deepened feelings of insecurity. Mary Willoughby, a 72-year-old Houston resident, waited outside the stadium with her granddaughter, fearing what might happen if the freeze continues.

“We need our food stamps. We need our social security. We need our Medicare,” she said. “If you cut all that out, it’s going to be nothing but a big war right now because people are gonna start robbing. We need the help.”

Another woman in line, 51-year-old Carolyn Guy, said she found it absurd that the Trump administration was spending millions on a new White House ballroom while claiming the government lacked funds for basic welfare programs.

“Why are you taking our stuff from us? We work hard,” she said. “You can take our food stamps, but here you’re getting ready to build a ballroom? Doesn’t make sense to me.”

Wider context

Amid growing concerns over government spending priorities, Trump’s decision to build a $250 million ballroom at the White House has ignited public outrage and congressional criticism. The lavish 90,000-square-foot addition, billed as privately financed yet shrouded in secrecy over its donors, comes as the US continues to pour vast sums of taxpayer money into foreign wars, including nearly $67 billion in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022 and over $22 billion to "Israel" since October 2023.

Critics argue that this exposes a troubling disconnect between Washington’s spending abroad and its neglect of urgent domestic needs, including rising food insecurity and cuts to federal nutrition assistance programs. The ballroom, they say, has become a symbol of misplaced priorities, opulence for the few, while millions of Americans struggle to afford groceries.