As the government shutdown halts federal food assistance, North Texas families are turning to food pantries, where demand is surging amid fears of going hungry.

SNAP benefits inject over $450 million into the Texas economy every month through grocery purchases and retail spending, according to Texas Health and Human Services. Any disruption could impact both households that rely on the program and the local businesses that depend on consumer food spending.

H-E-B is also donating $1 million to Meals on Wheels Texas, which delivers more than 100,000 meals every day to homebound seniors who live alone. According to Feeding Texas, 13.6 percent of seniors in Texas are at risk of hunger.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Food banks across North Texas are preparing for an unprecedented spike in demand after the USDA announced it will pause SNAP benefits starting Nov. 1, citing a lack of federal funding.

For Texas A&M’s offense, the highest graded player was center Mark Nabou Jr. Nabou missed all of the Aggies’ 2024 season with an injury and has not missed a beat since getting healthy. He recorded an 83.4 pass blocking grade and a 75.8 run blocking grade, the highest on the squad.