Gov. Bob Ferguson directs $2.2M to help WA food banks amid SNAP suspension
Days before federal food-benefit funding is set to run out amid the ongoing government shutdown, Gov. Bob Ferguson announced he will direct nearly $2.2 million each week to help bolster Washington food banks.
Ferguson on Tuesday pledged the food-bank support during what he’s calling “Congressional Republicans’ government shutdown.” Congressional Republicans, for their part, have blamed the shutdown on Democrats for refusing to vote to reopen the government unless their GOP counterparts engage in health-care negotiations.
Money for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called food stamps, is set to dry up Nov. 1 under the shutdown.
“We’re working to mitigate these harms until the Republican-controlled Congress gets the government running again,” Ferguson said in an Oct. 28 news release.
The money will come from the Washington state Department of Social and Health Services, which administers federal SNAP. DSHS is being directed to shift money to the state’s agriculture department, which will give grants to food banks, according to Ferguson’s office.
If legal efforts to safeguard such benefits fail and Congress doesn’t reach a budget deal, then the first transfer will happen Nov. 3. They’ll keep going each week until the money for SNAP is brought back, according to Ferguson’s office.
Also on Tuesday, more than two dozen states — including Washington — locked arms to file suit against the Trump administration for “illegally” halting SNAP aid. The lawsuit comes days after the administration said it wouldn’t tap some $6 billion in contingency funding to keep benefits rolling through the continuing shutdown.
Nearly 42 million people nationwide receive SNAP benefits, including close to 1 million Washingtonians.
The Washington State Community Action Partnership (WSCAP), the largest non-state human services network in Washington, noted that SNAP was already facing slashed federal funding. The coming shutdown-induced SNAP cutoff will be “catastrophic,” WSCAP warned in a news release.
Although there are community mobilization efforts to help fill the gap, the entire emergency food system could crumble without immediate intervention, WSCAP contends. Executive Director Jeff DeLuca said many families are already struggling to cover increasing costs, and losing food aid will “push many over the edge.”
“When families can’t buy food, the entire community feels it: corner stores, grocers, farmers all lose out,” DeLuca said. “Beyond increased hunger and food insecurity, this is an affront to basic human dignity and community stability.”
Ferguson’s office said Tuesday that residents in the rural part of the state will be especially hit hard. Some 28% of Yakima County residents, for example, depend on SNAP.
Food pantries and banks are expected to see longer lines as more Washingtonians seek them out for help. Many food banks have already been seeing more clients, and some already have had to reduce the amount of food provided per client.
The governor encourages folks who can to help food banks by volunteering or donating.
“We’ll keep looking for innovative solutions at the state level,” he said. “President Trump needs to tell his party to stop playing political games and do their jobs.”
The Washington Department of Agriculture can help people find food resources online at agr.wa.gov/services/food-access/access-food-near-you or via phone at 360-725-5640. Residents also can contact the statewide helpline Washington 211 for assistance connecting with resources.
This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Gov. Bob Ferguson directs $2.2M to help WA food banks amid SNAP suspension."
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