'I can't eat': Millions risk losing food aid during US shutdown

"If I don't get food stamps I can't eat," Dunham told AFP, explaining that after all his expenses, he has just $24 left over per month.

"That's it," the father of two teenagers said. "The rest goes to child support."

Since the federal government shuttered on October 1 due to ongoing budget disagreements between Republicans and Democrats in Congress, President Donald Trump's administration has announced it would no longer be able to fund SNAP as of Saturday -- the first cessation since the program began six decades ago.

A federal judge stepped in Friday and ordered the government to use emergency funds to keep SNAP running, and Trump said he aimed to comply. But many recipients have had their aid disrupted amid the bureaucratic tug-of-war.

Dunham -- who works in the service industry, though in a reduced capacity since his accident -- was able to receive some sandwiches and drinks on Saturday afternoon distributed by Petit Beignets and Tapioca, a restaurant in northwest Houston.

"There's a lot of layoffs going around, and on top of that, we have the government shutdown and the SNAP benefits -- nobody knew what was going to happen, and I made sandwiches for someone who comes and has SNAP benefits, and at least can have one meal for sure," the restaurant's owner Nhan Ngo, 37, said.

Though Dunham could not use his SNAP card to repay Ngo, he gave him a surprise hug as a show of thanks. 

- 'Not something extraordinary or luxurious' -

Elsewhere in the city, thousands of people who did not receive their food stamps or fear they will not get them in the near future lined up in cars outside NRG Stadium, where the Houston Food Bank is distributing fruit and non-perishable food items.

The food bank's president Brian Greene told AFP that the SNAP stoppage affects "about 425,000 households just in the Houston area."

"So every community is trying to step up to help these families get by in the meantime."

Despite the judicial order to resume funding SNAP during the shutdown, "it would take several days for the states to restart the program," Greene explained. "They all had to stop because they were out of money."

The gap in benefits impacted Sandra Guzman, a 36-year-old mother of two, who had placed an order for her food stamps last week but was told there were none available. She had to seek food aid elsewhere in the meantime.

"This is not something extraordinary or luxurious, this is something basic as getting food for my kids," Guzman told AFP. "I'll say food stamps represent 40 percent... of my expenses."

- Trump's ballroom or food aid -

Mary Willoughby, a 72-year-old Houston resident, waited in line outside the stadium with her granddaughter to receive food. She thinks if the aid freeze lasts, it could cause widespread chaos.

"We need our food stamps. We need our social security. We need our Medicare... If you cut all that out, it's going to be nothing but a big war right now because people are gonna start robbing," she said. 

"We need the help."

Another person in line, Carolyn Guy, 51, said she found it absurd that the Trump administration was paying millions to build a new White House ballroom while claiming there was no money to fund SNAP benefits. 

"Why are you taking our stuff from us? We work hard," she said. "You can take our food stamps, but here you're getting ready to build a ballroom? Doesn't make sense to me."

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