WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) -Cynthia Kirkhart, the CEO of Facing Hunger Foodbank in Huntington, West Virginia, has already had to explain to customers this year why the organization is rationing bags of potatoes. 

The food bank, which also serves households in Kentucky and Ohio, has had to shrink its allotments as higher food costs and surging need strain its budget.

Now facing the prospect of nearly 300,000 West Virginians missing November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps, due to the federal government shutdown, there is little more she can do.

"You remove SNAP dollars, and people have no resources. We're in some real trouble," Kirkhart said.

Nine food banks and anti-hunger groups in eight states told Reuters they will struggle to absorb higher demand if November SNAP benefits are not distributed. The shutdown, now the second-longest in history, has prevented Congress from funding the benefits, which reach more than 41 million Americans. 

Hunger in the U.S. is already on a multi-year rise. The administration of President Donald Trump has cut some federal food bank funding and hiked SNAP work requirements, which could push some people off the program.

States warned this week that hunger could surge if SNAP benefits lapse. The shutdown also threatens benefits for nearly 7 million participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the benefit cliff is "an inflection point for Senate Democrats." Democrats have withheld votes on a spending bill in an effort to keep healthcare prices from spiking for many Americans. Democrats and Republicans have blamed the other for the shutdown. 

BRACING FOR IMPACT

Food banks have already seen record demand in recent years as food price inflation and the long tail of the COVID-19 pandemic strain household budgets.

More than 50 million people received food from food banks, pantries and other charitable sources in 2023, compared to roughly 40 million in 2019, according to Feeding America, a national food bank network. 

Food providers have boosted fundraising, trimmed hours and pared back offerings to try to keep up. But their role has always been to supplement government aid, not replace it. 

MANNA FoodBank in Mills River, North Carolina, has seen its highest-ever demand as the community continues to rebuild from the destruction of Hurricane Helene, which also destroyed the group's warehouse, said Claire Neal, the group's CEO. 

"The reality is, there's not a ton we can do on our own. For every meal we provide, SNAP provides nine. We can't make up the difference, and philanthropy can't replace government support," Neal said.

Some organizations are still hoping to fundraise ahead of a potential November surge, like the United Way of New York City, which has opened an emergency fund to quickly funnel money to low-income households if needed, said president and CEO Grace Bonilla. 

"Those lines (at food banks) are going to get much longer. We're just bracing ourselves for the impact," Bonilla said.

NO FEDERAL ACTION

Mayors and House Democrats this week urged Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to fund November benefits using a SNAP contingency fund estimated by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities to contain about $5 billion. That amounts to 60% of the cost of one month of the benefits.

The USDA on Friday said it would not tap into the funds and instead would reserve them for responding to natural disasters and other emergencies. 

In the absence of federal action, some states have stepped in. California and New York said they would send money to food banks. Virginia on Thursday declared a state of emergency to fund November benefits. 

But others have found little option for aiding SNAP recipients. Alaska's Department of Health website said the agency explored using state money for benefits but found it impossible.

"Reprogramming the federal system to instead draw funds from the state treasury is not feasible due to vendor and system timeline constraints," according to the website.