Today (October 29, 2025) marks 28 days since the federal government was shut down. While the Senate has returned to session, it is uncertain when the next formal negotiation to reopen the government will occur.

We have seen many federal workers being furloughed, including those working on afterschool initiatives. It is a critical issue for Virginia, where many government workers live and spend their money that stimulates the local economy. What is more concerning is that on November 1, funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will not be issued, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the administrator of the program. This will impact 42 million Americans, many of whom work in low-wage jobs and rely on SNAP to support the physical health of their families.

To offset the freeze of the federal SNAP program, Virginia will be rolling out a parallel food assistance program, Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA), which distributes surplus dollars from the state budget. Virginia SNAP beneficiaries will receive the state funds directly to their EBT cards. There may be some delays in the process. Therefore, we encourage program leaders to be aware of their local food banks.