HOUSTON — Before dawn Saturday, vehicles started lining up at NRG Stadium as the Houston Food Bank prepared to open a large-scale “supersite” to distribute food to families worried about the future of federal assistance.
The site, modeled after the drive-thru events deployed during the Covid-19 pandemic, was set up to serve about 5,000 families, supplying them with produce, frozen chicken and other household staples.
Angelina Alonzo said she arrived at 5 a.m., hoping to be one of the first in line. She typically receives $400 a month in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits, which she uses to feed her children and grandchildren, she said — but her funds for November have not arrived, leaving her with no choice but to visit the stadium Saturday.
“It means paying more money out of your pockets,” she said from the driver’s side window of her car as she waited. “If you don’t have it, you have to find somewhere to get money to supply for the children.”
Also in line was Armando Hinojosa, who said that even when SNAP benefits are available, stretching them to the end of the month is a challenge.
“By the end of the second week of the month, you’re counting pennies and just trying to make ends meet,” Hinojosa said.
The urgent demand for food assistance comes as some 42 million Americans prepare for lapses in SNAP. Earlier this week, the Agriculture Department warned that funding could run out if the government shutdown continues. While a Rhode Island judge has ordered the administration to keep funding SNAP nationwide and President Donald Trump said he instructed lawyers to review the issue, many households are bracing for delays as November payments are set to begin.
Texas has the highest food-insecure population in the U.S., with about 5.3 million struggling to afford consistent meals, according to the nonprofit Feeding Texas. Around 3.5 million of them, including 1.7 million children, rely on SNAP benefits to get by, lawmakers say.
In Harris County, home to much of Houston, more than 300,000 people rely on SNAP and nearly 650,000 are eligible, according to Texas Health and Human Services.
On Saturday morning in Houston, cars kept their trunks open as volunteers dropped off the much-needed food.
Brian Greene, the CEO of the Houston Food Bank, said the scene unfolding Saturday echoed what his team saw at the height of the pandemic — but this time, the cause is “man-made.”
“The last time you saw scenes like this was during Covid, where the food banks around the country had to step up and these supersite-style distributions were actually fairly common,” Greene said. “But that was nature hitting us. This is society making a horrible mistake.”
Greene said the food bank can help fill the gap temporarily, but warned that even large-scale efforts like this one cannot meet the need if SNAP payments stop.
“It’s not going to be enough but at least will help them some as they try and weather through these times,” he said.
Amanda Grosdidier, executive director of the Houston Texans Foundation, said the need “is bigger than we ever could’ve imagined.” The Houston Texans Foundation partnered with the Houston Food Bank for Saturday’s food distribution.
“When we heard the numbers, we were completely blown away to see how many people actually need help and families that have never had to ask for help that are having to actually ask for help right now,” Grosdidier told NBC News. “It’s pretty sad to see.”
Hinojosa and his wife, Kathy, said if the SNAP benefits do not resume, they will have to adjust their budget.
“We just have to just recalibrate, man, and just see what kind of help is out there that we can take advantage of,” Hinojosa said.
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