Last fall, a SNAP benefit freeze focused national attention on hunger. Now, many families are still struggling to access the support they need.
The federal government shutdown last fall froze SNAP benefits. This crisis brought public food assistance into the national spotlight. For many people across Wyoming, it was the first time they realized how many of their neighbors rely on SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — to help put food on the table.
In Wyoming, the response to the shutdown was immediate. Donors and volunteers stepped up, food and fund drives were organized across the state, and an Executive Order from Gov. Mark Gordon provided emergency funding. This surge of support ensured that Food Bank of Wyoming and our Hunger Relief Partners were able to get adequate food into our communities to families facing uncertainty.
While the shutdown ended and the headlines moved on, the challenges to food access did not.
Today, many families in Wyoming and across the country are navigating the changes to SNAP eligibility requirements that began rolling out last fall. For households already juggling work, child care, housing costs, and other daily responsibilities, these changes can create new barriers to accessing food assistance. Across Wyoming, food pantries continue to try to keep pace with the rising food security challenges.
More Than a Government Program
SNAP is designed to help families who don’t earn enough income to consistently afford food while also paying for necessities such as housing, transportation, child care, and utilities. The program provides supplemental funds that can be used at local grocery stores and farmers’ markets.
“Last year, Food Bank of Wyoming distributed over 12 million pounds of food, yet that was just a fraction of the food needs for neighbors experiencing food insecurity,” says Erika Sanchez, program manager at Food Bank of Wyoming. “Hunger Relief Partners can do a lot for our neighbors, but we can’t replace SNAP.”
The SNAP shutdown in November 2025 underscored how essential the program is for families facing tight budgets.
“Hunger Relief Partners experienced extreme increases in neighbors seeking food,” says Danica Sveda, executive director of Food Bank of Wyoming. “Many partners shared that they were seeing neighbors who had never come in before, who were accessing the food pantry for the first time. What this tells us is that SNAP is working.”
While food banks and food pantries play a critical role in helping neighbors facing hunger, they were never designed to replace SNAP. Rather, public food assistance programs like SNAP work with food banks to help families meet their needs. SNAP helps households stretch limited budgets and maintain more consistent access to food. Food banks and pantries help fill the gaps if these funds fall short.
In Wyoming, an average of 24,700 people receive SNAP benefits each month, as of April 2026. SNAP benefits not only help families purchase food, but they also serve to support local retailers and circulate dollars back into local economies.
Why Eligibility Changes Matter
Federal legislation signed in 2025 expanded SNAP work requirements and introduced new eligibility rules. The expanded requirements mean that, except for certain groups, people who are not working or volunteering a minimum of 80 hours per month are only eligible for three months of SNAP every three years.
“These eligibility changes make it harder for people to access food assistance programs,” says Sveda. “Lack of access to adequate food can make it harder to find and maintain employment and good health.”
Additionally, employment circumstances do not usually change that quickly, which may leave people without food assistance while seeking employment.
What Food Bank of Wyoming and Our Partners Are Seeing
For years, food pantries have typically seen an increase in visitors toward the end of the month, when SNAP benefits begin to run low. Our network of Hunger Relief Partners has long planned for that pattern.
Now, however, our partners are sharing that more neighbors are seeking help throughout the month.
“We’re seeing a greater demand throughout the month because some people are no longer receiving SNAP benefits, and some people are receiving less than they previously received,” Sanchez says.
At the same time, families continue to face rising costs for necessities like housing, groceries, transportation, and insurance. As expenses climb, many households are forced to cut their food budgets to cover other essential costs. As a result, more neighbors are relying on emergency food assistance throughout the month.
How Do People Put Food on the Table While Facing These Changes?
When families receive less assistance or lose access to benefits, they still need to put food on the table. What changes is how they make it work.
“People are having to decide between nutritious food and full bellies,” says Kali McCrackin Goodenough, food security policy advocate for the Food Bank of Wyoming. “When the monthly household food budget competes with other necessities, the most nutritious food choices become out of reach.”
These pressures create difficult tradeoffs for families. Parents and caregivers want to provide both nutritious foods and consistent meals. But when resources are limited, affordability often becomes the deciding factor.
“People should not have to choose between nutritious food and affordability,” says Sveda. “This is why Food Bank of Wyoming emphasizes nutritious foods, like produce and protein foods, when sourcing food for Hunger Relief Partners and our mobile pantries — to increase access for individuals and families.”
In 2025, 33% of food distributed by Food Bank of Wyoming was produce. By putting nutritious choices within reach, Food Bank of Wyoming and its Hunger Relief Partners are striving to help families have access to foods that support their health and well-being.
Our Network Is Strong, But It Cannot Replace SNAP
Food Bank of Wyoming works with more than 170 Hunger Relief Partners across the state. We also distribute food directly to neighbors through mobile pantries in areas without easy access to a brick-and-mortar food pantry. Together, we help ensure food reaches rural towns, cities, and communities across the state. It is a strong network. Still, it cannot fully replace what SNAP provides.
“SNAP empowers neighbors to nourish themselves with foods they like, know how to prepare, and have a plan to use,” says McCrackin Goodenough. “Eligible SNAP food retailers are also more available and accessible than Hunger Relief Partners.”
In Wyoming, there are over 380 SNAP-authorized retailers compared to 170 Hunger Relief Partners.
Approximately $4.48 million in SNAP benefits are distributed to Wyoming households each month, as of April 2026. Food banks and food pantries are intended to supplement this and other resources, filling gaps, responding during emergencies, and supporting people who may not qualify for assistance.
What Gives Us Hope
Despite the challenges, McCrackin Goodenough says one positive outcome from the conversations surrounding SNAP over the past year has been greater awareness of food insecurity in Wyoming and a growing commitment to addressing it.
“In the last year, we have seen people and organizations coming together to work towards hunger solutions,” says McCrackin Goodenough. “The SNAP shutdown showed us how necessary food assistance programs are and the importance of communities in ensuring everyone is nourished.”
Last fall, our community of donors and volunteers responded with incredible generosity to the hunger crisis we were seeing in our region, enabling Food Bank of Wyoming and our Hunger Relief Partners to provide immediate food support for families facing uncertainty. Despite the changes since then — and those on the horizon — donors, volunteers, and staff are committed to meeting the challenge of hunger head-on.
“Food insecurity is on the rise, with Wyoming ranking twelfth in the nation,” says Sveda. “Changing this statistic will take concerted efforts at the federal, state, and local level, and through community collaborations that extend beyond Hunger Relief Partners to schools, healthcare providers, food producers, and beyond.”