SNAP freeze, grocery prices have Sacramento-area food banks busy to start November
Rising food costs, the federal government shutdown and the threat of SNAP benefits expiring have created the perfect story of financial hardship for low-income Californians, and it’s forcing more families to seek assistance at local food banks.
The need was apparent at the Elk Grove Food Bank Services, which saw a record number of new customers this week, Executive Director Marie Jachino said. The surge in demand threatened to overwhelm some Sacramento-area food banks.
Saturday morning at the Elk Grove facility was less busy than earlier in the week, when the warehouse-turned-grocery was inundated with shoppers, staff said. But for some customers, Saturday was the only day they could get food assistance.
Maria Lopez was visiting the Elk Grove facility Saturday morning because she works Monday through Friday.
Lopez said she can typically feed herself and her three daughters each month using a combination of her salary and the roughly $600 in federal assistance she receives monthly. But this month, she didn’t know if her benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program would come through.
After the government shutdown Oct. 1, the Trump administration said it was unable to fund the food assistance program. Many expected those benefits would expire at the end of the month.
A federal judge stepped in on Friday and ordered the Trump administration to fund SNAP benefits despite the ongoing federal shutdown. But as of Saturday morning, it wasn’t clear when those federal dollars would actually make it into Lopez’ and others’ pockets.
On top of that, every time Lopez goes to the grocery store, it seems like food prices have gone up, she said.
“My daughters always ask, ‘Can I get this?’” Lopez said. She has to tell them, “No, it’s too expensive.”
Families struggling amid rising grocery prices
Other Saturday customers also noted how high grocery prices have squeezed their families financially.
Last year, President Donald Trump campaigned on lowering food prices, but under his administration grocery prices have increased at the fastest levels since 2022, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show.
Those financial pressures have worsened the shutdown-related fallout.
Due to the uncertainty around SNAP, Jachino and her staff made the decision to open their doors on Saturday — when the food bank is normally closed — to serve customers who still need food, despite the court-ordered relief. The Elk Grove facility plans to be open on future Saturdays (Nov. 8 and Nov. 15) as well, according to the food bank’s website.
Mark Walters, the facility’s warehouse manager, said the past week was notable not only for the sheer volume of people, but also because of how many new customers have come seeking food assistance for the first time.
Some of those first-time visitors are federal employees who haven’t been getting paid while the government remains shut down, Walters said. Seniors are another population that has been visiting the warehouse-turned-grocery store in increasing numbers this past week since additionally money for SNAP did not appear forthcoming.
Jachino said 95 new households sought food assistance this week, expecting SNAP benefits to expire on Saturday.
“We’ve never seen anything like this in our 51-year history,” she said.
Community pitches in to help
Because of the increased demand, Walters said the food bank has been running low on donations for certain items. At the end of one shift this week, the food bank was left with only three bell peppers, he noted.
There has been a major influx in donations recently, but he said there is always a need for certain items like peanut butter and canned protein, such as tuna and chicken. Monetary donations are always greatly appreciated, he added.
Samora Simpson, an Elk Grove mother shopping on Saturday morning, said she was grateful that she could pick up fresh fruit and vegetables to provide healthy meals for her family.
She appreciated how the food bank’s layout allowed customers to shop similarly to the grocery store. She said, “It’s really great to have choices.”
Simpson said health issues have financially squeezed her family recently, prompting her first visit to the food bank, though she wished she had known about it sooner.
“I think it’s a vital resource especially in the underserved communities,” she said.
This story was originally published November 1, 2025 at 2:32 PM.
