SNAP funding ending during government shutdown: How you can help

If no deal is reached in Washington, SNAP benefits, funds that help pay for groceries, could run out for families across the country.

Government shutdown impacting SNAP

The backstory:

Funding for SNAP benefits is expected to run out in November if federal lawmakers are unable to reach a deal to end the government shutdown.

At the crux of the battle, Democrats are pushing their Republican colleagues to restore healthcare tax credits eliminated under the "One, Big, Beautiful" omnibus bill passed earlier this year. Democrats say these tax credits save people on the Affordable Care Act thousands of dollars each year. Republicans seem willing to negotiate on the tax credits but demand the Democrats pass a government funding bill first.

At the same time, attorneys general from 22 states, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, filed a lawsuit this week, demanding the Trump administration use contingency funds set aside for SNAP.

By the numbers:

If SNAP benefits expire in November, demand is expected to surge at local food shelves. Food shelves are already gearing up for the increased traffic, with the Open Door Pantry in Eagan expecting up to 500 more families. Over the weekend, the pantry saw a deluge of donations.

Officials say 440,000 Minnesotans depend on SNAP each month, with more than half of the recipients being children and seniors. On Monday, Gov. Walz announced the state would send $4 million in emergency funding to support food shelves. But that funding is only a fraction of the more than $70 million budget for SNAP in Minnesota.

How you can help

What you can do:

The best way you can help those impacted by a potential loss of SNAP funds would be to donate to food shelves. At the bottom of this article, we have compiled a comprehensive list of food shelves in Minnesota.

You should probably donate money to food shelves – not food

While it may feel good to bring a delivery of groceries to a food shelf yourself, many food shelves urge those who want to help to make financial donations instead. Why? Because financial donations give them better flexibility and cash doesn't expire or go bad. On top of that, because of the relationships shelves have with grocers and other food providers, a dollar they spend will go farther than a dollar you spend at a grocery store.

Food donations also require labor by volunteers or staff to sort and stock donated food. That said, most shelves accept shelf stable, non-perishable goods.

Minneapolis

Calvary Lutheran Church Food Shelf

  • Address: 3901 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55407
  • Donation Information: https://www.calvaryfoodshelf.org/ (Note: Financial donations preferred; direct contact recommended for food donations)

Community Bridge Food Pantry

Community Emergency Service (CES)

Division of Indian Work Food Shelf

Friendship Community Services Food Hub

Isuroon Food Shelf (provides Halal food assistance)

Joyce Uptown Foodshelf

Minnehaha United Methodist Church Food Shelf

New Creation Baptist Church Food Shelf

Salvation Army - Central Avenue (Minneapolis)

Salvation Army - Downtown Social Services Office (Minneapolis)

Salvation Army - East Lake Street (Minneapolis)

Salvation Army - North Lyndale Avenue (Minneapolis)

Sharing and Caring Hands

Simpson Food Pantry

Source MN Inc. Food Shelf

St. Paul

Franciscan Brothers of Peace Food Shelf

Keystone Community Services Food Shelf

Open Hands Midway

Salvation Army - Payne Avenue (St. Paul)

Salvation Army - West 7th Street (St. Paul)

Ada

Valley Food Shelf of Ada

Aitkin

St. James Catholic Church Food Shelf

Akeley

Akeley Community Food Shelf

Albany

Albany Food Shelf

Alden

Alden Area Food Shelf

  • Address: 191 Water Street, Alden, MN 56009
  • Donation information: Help Me Connect website here

Alexandria

Outreach Food Shelf

Annandale

Annandale Food Shelf

Anoka

ACBC Food Shelf

Anoka Covenant Church Food Shelf

Apple Valley

360 Communities - Apple Valley Food Shelf

Argyle

Argyle Area Food Shelf

Aurora

AEOA - Aurora Food Shelf

Barnesville

Barnesville Area Food Pantry

Battle Lake

Battle Lake Food Shelf

Baudette

Lake of the Woods Food Shelf

Beltrami County (Fertile)

Fertile-Beltrami Food Shelf

Bemidji

Bemidji Community Food Shelf

Blaine

Blaine United Methodist Church Food Shelf

Hope for the Community Food Distribution

Muslim American Society (MAS) of Minnesota Food Shelf

Salvation Army - Blaine Social Services Office

Way of the Lord Church Food Shelf

Braham

Braham Area Food Shelf

Brooklyn Center

CAPI Food Shelf

Community Emergency Assistance Programs (CEAP)

Browns Valley

Browns Valley Food Shelf

Burnsville

360 Communities - Burnsville Food Shelf

Salvation Army - Burnsville Social Services Office

Caledonia

Houston County Food Shelf

Cambridge

Family Pathways Food Shelves

Chisago City

Family Pathways Food Shelves

Clearwater

Clearwater City Food Shelf

Climax

Climax Parish Food Shelf

  • Address: 105 W Broadway, Climax, MN 56523
  • Donation Information: Website unavailable. Direct contact is recommended.

Columbia Heights

Southern Anoka Community Assistance (SACA)

Cottage Grove

All Saints Lutheran Church Food Shelf

Crookston

New Hope Food Shelf

Detroit Lakes

Becker City Food Pantry

Dodge County (Kasson)

Dodge County Food Shelf

Dilworth

Seeds of Hope Food Pantry

East Grand Forks

EGF Food Shelf

Ely

Ely Area Food Shelf

Erskine

Grace Lutheran Community Food Shelf

Farmington

360 Communities - Farmington Food Shelf

Felton

Bread of Life Food Pantry

  • Address: 124 7th Street, Felton, MN 56536
  • Donation Information: Website unavailable. Direct contact is recommended.

Fergus Falls

Fergus Falls Community Food Shelf

Fillmore County (Preston)

Fillmore County, Preston Food Shelf

Forest Lake

Family Pathways Food Shelves

Fosston

Loaves & Fishes Food Shelf

Glyndon

Glyndon Community Food Pantry

  • Address: 414 Parke Avenue S, Glyndon, MN 56547
  • Donation Information: Website unavailable. Direct contact is recommended.

Grand Marais

AEOA - Grand Marais Food Shelf

Grant County (Elbow Lake)

Grant County Emergency Food Shelf

Grygla

Grygla Gatzke Food Shelf

Hallock

Cornerstone Food Pantry

Hendrum

REACH Hendrum Food Pantry

Henning

Henning Community Food Shelf

Hoffman-Kensington

Hoffman-Kensington Food Shelf

Kelliher

Kelliher Area Food Shelf

Kenyon

All Seasons Area Food Shelf

Lake Bronson

HannahRays Food Pantry

Lakeville

360 Communities - Messiah Community Food Shelf (Lakeville)

Laporte

Laporte Food Shelf

Mahtomedi

St. Andrew's Lutheran Church - Community Resource Center

Mahnomen

Helping Hands Food Shelf (Mahnomen)

Mankato

ECHO Food Shelf

Maplewood

Salvation Army - Maplewood

Menahga

Menahga Food Shelf

Moorhead

A Place For Hope: Recovery and Wellness Center

Bridgepointe Community Church Food Pantry

  • Address: 121 17th Street N, Moorhead, MN 56560
  • Donation Information: Website unavailable. Direct contact is recommended.

Churches United - Dorothy Day Food Pantry

New Brighton

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Food Shelf

New York Mills

New York Mills Area Food Shelf

North Branch

Family Pathways Food Shelves

Norwood-Young America

Southwest Carver County Food Shelf

Oakdale

Open Cupboard

Oklee

Inter-County Community Council

Onamia

Family Pathways Food Shelves

Pelican Rapids

Pelican Rapids Food Shelf

Perham

The Bridge Pantry

Pine City

Angels of Hope Food Shelf

Family Pathways Food Shelves

Pope County (Glenwood)

Pope County Hearts & Hands Food Shelf

Proctor

AEOA - Proctor Food Shelf

Red Lake Falls

Red Lake Falls Community Food Shelf

  • Address: 105 International Drive, Red Lake Falls, MN 56750
  • Donation Information: Website unavailable. Direct contact is recommended.

Rochester

Channel One Regional Food Bank - Food Shelf

Salvation Army - Rochester

Rockford

RiverWorks Food Shelf

Roseau

Roseau Area Food Shelf

Rosemount

360 Communities - Rosemount Food Shelf

Rushford

Fillmore County, Rushford Food Shelf

Sandstone

Family Pathways Food Shelves

Sebeka

Sebeka Area Food Shelf

Sibley County (Gaylord)

Sibley County FoodShare, Inc.

Silver Bay

AEOA - Silver Bay Office Food Shelf

Sleepy Eye

SHEAF - Sleepy Eye Area Food Shelf

Spring Valley

Spring Valley Food Shelf

Springfield

Springfield Area Food Shelf

St. Cloud

Catholic Charities of St. Cloud - Food Services

Hope for the Community Food Distribution

Salvation Army - St. Cloud

St. Paul Park

Friends In Need Food Shelf

St. Peter

St. Peter Area Food Shelf

Stillwater

Community Thread

Strandquist

Strandquist Food Shelf

Thief River Falls

Thief River Area Food Shelf

Tower

AEOA - Tower Area Food Shelf

Traverse County (Wheaton)

Traverse County Food Shelf

  • Address: 15 10th Street S, Wheaton, MN 56296
  • Donation Information: Website unavailable. Direct contact is recommended.

Two Harbors

AEOA - Two Harbors Office Food Shelf

Verndale

Verndale Area Food Shelf

Wadena

Project Share of Wadena

  • Address: 205 Aldrich Avenue SE, Wadena, MN 56482
  • Donation Information: Website unavailable. Direct contact is recommended.

Warren

Warren Area Food Shelf

  • Address: 109 S Minnesota St, Warren, MN, 56762
  • Donation Information: Details available through the Help Me Connect website here.

Warroad

Warroad Food Pantry

White Bear Lake

White Bear Area Food Shelf

Worthington

Worthington Christian Church Food Shelf

PoliticsMinnesotaFood and Drink