With the federal government shutdown continuing into November, thousands of families in Santa Maria are now facing the immediate threat of losing access to food. CalFresh, California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), has confirmed in an automated phone message that while October benefits have already been issued, November benefits will be delayed until further notice.
The message states, “Benefits for the month of October have already been issued. Due to the federal government shutdown, November CalFresh benefits will be delayed.”
Santa Maria resident and SNAP recipient Rubén Rodríguez Peña said he first learned about the cut after checking the news online and immediately worried about the impact on his community. He volunteers at the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, but also relies on SNAP to feed himself.
“Sí, me di cuenta, que si están por hacer el corte de los beneficios para las personas,” Rodríguez Peña said.
Another Santa Maria SNAP recipient, Jorge Suárez, said the news is especially devastating for families with children. “My reaction it was bad, it was all the people, not just me, all the people who have kids, you know? And it’s gonna be very bad,” he said.
The effects of the shutdown are already becoming visible locally. A Chevron gas station in Santa Maria posted a notice informing customers that EBT cards would no longer be accepted due to the government shutdown. While some October balances remain active, the sign reflects growing uncertainty among retailers and fear in the community that federal systems could soon go offline entirely.
According to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, more than 55,000 people in the county rely on SNAP benefits each month. That includes children, seniors, veterans, farmworkers, and working families who say they have no financial buffer to absorb even a temporary delay.
Laurel Alcantar, Director of Marketing for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, said the organization is preparing to respond to what could be one of the largest surges in food insecurity the region has seen in recent history.
“As of right now, if people have benefits from October, they can still use those benefits in November. But all of the November benefits are delayed due to the shutdown,” Alcantar said.
She said the Foodbank is already fielding calls not only from SNAP recipients, but also from federal workers who have missed paychecks during the shutdown. “We’ve received a lot of inquiries from people who are worried and we’ve begun responding to some of those,” she said, noting that food distributions have already increased in North and South County.
More than half of SNAP recipients in Santa Barbara County are either children or older adults, according to the Foodbank. Alcantar said those residents have limited or no ability to adjust for a loss of benefits, putting them at immediate risk.
Food distribution sites across Santa Maria and surrounding communities are now being scaled up. The Foodbank says it will not turn anyone away and is encouraging families to attend distribution events early and check schedules regularly at FoodBankSBC.org.
Residents seeking assistance can visit FoodBankSBC.org, contact CalFresh at 1-877-847-3663, or dial 2-1-1 for emergency food referrals.
