JACKSON, Wyo. — As November looms and the nation’s biggest eating holiday is just weeks away, thousands of people across Wyoming are bracing for a month without federal food assistance. Gov. Mark Gordon has acknowledged the upcoming suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but has stayed largely quiet about what specific plan he might implement.
Due to the federal government shutdown, funding for SNAP — formerly known as food stamps — is set to expire after the month of October. On Oct. 7, the Wyoming Department of Family Services, which distributes the federal support to qualifying residents, announced the suspension of state dispersement due to lack of sufficient federal funding.
A Tuesday press release sent from Gordon’s office said that the governor is “exploring options around the potential suspension of SNAP payments.” It states that his top priority is to ensure that Wyoming families who are in need do not go hungry.
“We in Wyoming know how important it is to solve problems, which is why I know food pantries, churches and other organizations across the Cowboy State are ready to step up and help,” Gordon said in the statement. “We are working on ways to provide assistance. In the meantime I have no doubt that Wyoming citizens will help by donating to their local food pantry, church pantry and charitable organization.”
While politicians in Washington, D.C., argue over whether or not a SNAP contingency fund could be used to bridge the gap, governors around the nation are attempting to secure state funds to assist food-insecure households in their states. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has asked the state for up to $10 million to support food banks. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs activated $1.8 million, with $1.5 million of that allocated to state food banks. In a letter last week, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo directed state teams to expand support for food banks, saying he was prepared to engage the Nevada National Guard to assist with food distribution.
Food Bank of Wyoming Executive Director Danica Sveda told Buckrail it is unlikely that private donations alone can cover the gap. Last year, SNAP infused about $65 million into the state’s economy through grocery purchases. Approximately 29,000 Wyomingites rely on SNAP benefits, with children making up 44% of the total, and 13% represented by older adults. The average monthly SNAP payment is about $386 per household, according to Gordon’s press release, with Wyoming distributing up to $5.4 million per month to families.
“We know that oftentimes, a lunch at the senior center might be the only meal that they get in addition to some small benefits they receive,” Sveda said about the 13%. “These are the people that we should be taking care of as a society.”
In addition to the residents on the verge of losing benefits, there are also now about 7,000 federal workers in Wyoming who are living without paychecks, according to WyoFile.
“The math, if you were to talk to the Wyoming Community Foundation, isn’t there,” Sveda said. “There’s no way for private foundations and donors to give enough money to nonprofit organizations that make up the difference of what has been discontinued [by the government].”
In fiscal year 2024, the Food Bank of Wyoming served 55,543 individuals and distributed 12.3 million pounds of food. The food bank distributes food to over 150 partners across every Wyoming county, including One22 Resource Center (Jackson Cupboard), Hole Food Rescue and the Good Samaritan Mission in Teton County. Sveda said many of the food bank’s partners are seeing a “dramatic rise” in the number of people seeking food, and many are new faces, likely people who are accustomed to covering their entire food budget with SNAP payments.
Churches, which historically have been very generous, according to Sveda, are strapped and are having a hard time coming up with more to give. The Food Bank of Wyoming is increasing the size of its food purchases — which include produce, protein and shelf-stable items — offering more to its partners around the state to allow for better purchasing power. Sveda said she is also working with the Wyoming Hunger Initiative, an organization with new nonprofit status that was founded by Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon.
Sveda encourages anyone in need to use the map tool on the Food Bank of Wyoming website. Using this tool, people can type in an address and the map will find the closest food pantry. She added that, for those who would like to contribute to the cause, food pantries are often looking for volunteers who can donate time.
“Hopefully we can meet this moment the way that we would like to,” Sveda said. “We’re here to help and we want to help. That’s why I go to work every day. … This is a time of unity for all the people that are in the food insecurity space to collaborate — combine our resources, our partners, our donors — to get the food out in the community.”
