Ivey Releases $2 Million in State Emergency Funds to Regional Food Banks
“There is only one true solution and that is for Congress to do their one job and reopen the federal government now”—Governor Kay Ivey
On Tuesday, Governor Kay Ivey announced she would release $2 million from Alabama’s State Emergency Fund to help eight food banks across all 67 counties. The move comes as the federal government’s shutdown forces many SNAP recipients in Alabama to begin missing benefit disbursements.
“There are real Alabama families who rely on SNAP to put food on their tables, and that includes more than 300,000 children, more than 102,000 seniors and those who are disabled. That is why I am directing $2 million in emergency funding to go towards food banks serving the people of our state,” Governor Ivey said. “We are now in the longest federal government shutdown in history, and it is absolutely ridiculous that families all across our country are suffering – whether that is the school children who rely on SNAP, the air traffic controller not receiving a paycheck or even our military and high number of federal government worker families in Alabama. Hear me loud and clear when I say Alabama cannot be both the state and federal government. And like states all across the country, Alabama is stepping up to help, but this is not sustainable by any means. U.S. Senate Democrats must vote to reopen the federal government now.”
The timing is critical. In Alabama, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are loaded onto Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards between the 4th and the 23rd of each month. With the shutdown now in effect, some recipients already face a missed issuance on the 4th.
Though SNAP is fully federally funded, the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) is stepping in. It is redirecting an additional $3 million to the Feeding Alabama food banks network. Combined with today’s announcement, that brings the State’s total food-aid support for FY 26 to $9 million.
DHR is also giving $300 to the caregivers of each of the 11,434 children enrolled in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, aiming to ease pressure on families now losing SNAP support.
Meanwhile, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has issued guidance to states to allow partial SNAP funding during the shutdown. Rollins warned the process would be cumbersome and could lead to delays in benefits. Alabama’s DHR is reviewing the guidance now to act swiftly.
The Alabama Legislative Black Caucus asked Governor Ivey last Friday to call a special legislative session to allow use of the Rainy Day Fund or otherwise address the issue, but Governor Ivey said she has no such plans. citing Alabama law requiring the State to be in proration first—which it is not.
“There is only one true solution and that is for Congress to do their one job and reopen the federal government now,” she added.
The food banks that will receive support under the $2 million plan are:
- Community Food Bank of Central Alabama
- Food Bank of East Alabama
- Food Bank of North Alabama
- Feeding the Gulf Coast
- Heart of Alabama Food Bank
- Selma Area Food Bank
- West Alabama Food Bank
- Wiregrass Area Food Bank
This intervention by Governor Ivey marks a significant State-level effort to offset the effects of a federal funding breakdown. But as she noted, it is a stop-gap measure until Congress acts.
A complete map of the eight regional food banks and the Counties they serve is available at https://feedingalabama.org/alabama-food-bank-network/.
ALPolitics.com will continue actively sharing all Facebook posts related to food distribution across Alabama (that we see) on our Facebook page to help in getting this information out to as many people as possible. Organizations with information they wish to share may submit this to: Editor@ALPolitics.com.
