Many Georgians are still struggling to buy groceries even though the federal shutdown has ended and government operations have resumed. State officials say full food-assistance benefits should be restored this week, but the gap has already pushed thousands toward food pantries.
The Georgia Department of Human Services says SNAP recipients should receive their full November benefits either Tuesday or on their regularly scheduled date. Some people have received only partial payments and others have not received any, which has created an ongoing strain for families relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The pause during the shutdown left many SNAP users scrambling. Some lost benefits entirely. Others waited for days or weeks for updates. Many food pantries across metro Atlanta say the need has not slowed down even though payments have restarted.
“I had gone a few days without eating, three days,” said Anthony Williams, a SNAP recipient. Williams says his benefits expired around the time of the shutdown, leaving him unable to renew. “The shutdown caused me not to be able to renew.”
Williams holds a PhD in organizational development but is currently unemployed. He says the lapse in benefits has made it difficult to get enough food while his renewal is pending. “Being hungry, going through this, you already feel not like a person,” Williams said.
Nonprofit leaders say the hunger crisis remains severe. Almelia Chapman, lead case manager with Hosea Helps, says her organization is still seeing heavy demand at food pantries.
“There is a gap,” Chapman said. “We’re going to have lines, people are still going to come up here. They’re telling us they don’t have food, people who are hungry, who are wanting to feed their babies and older people, seniors.”
On the west side of Atlanta, The Grocery Spot and the nonprofit Remerge are seeing the same trend. Director Christy Betz says many clients are now making agonizing financial decisions.
“They’re stuck, trying to figure out how they’re going to pay rent December 1 because the money they allot for rent has gone to pay for food,” Betz said. “Now, we’re going to have a crisis of people getting evicted because they haven’t been able to pay their rent.”
DHS says full SNAP benefits for November will be issued this week. Those who received only partial payments are expected to get the remaining amount Tuesday. Everyone else will receive benefits on their normal dates.
For those who want to help, information is available at 4hosea.org, thegroceryspot.org and remerge.org.
