The U.S. Department of Agriculture has instructed states to delay issuing November Nutrition Assistance benefits amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, leaving hundreds of thousands of Arizonans uncertain how they’ll afford food during the Thanksgiving season.
The directive freezes monthly funding through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known in Arizona as Nutrition Assistance, until Congress approves a new federal budget. That means families who rely on the program will not receive their November benefits until the shutdown ends and the USDA releases funds to states.
According to initial data from the USDA, 887,253 Arizonans received SNAP benefits in May 2025. The program provides monthly stipends to buy groceries, helping families reduce food insecurity and focus on long-term self-sufficiency.
The delay in funding underscores the widespread impact of the federal shutdown, which entered its fourth week Friday, halting not only nutrition assistance but also housing, health, and education programs that serve low-income families across the state.
The pause in SNAP benefits comes just as Arizona schools prepare for Thanksgiving break, usually recognized Nov. 24–28, when many children who rely on school meals lose access to consistent food.
According to the Arizona Department of Education, 667,354 students statewide are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches during the 2024–25 school year. Families enrolled in federal programs like SNAP or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families automatically qualify for these meals.
During holiday breaks, those families often turn to food pantries and local nonprofits. With federal programs frozen, advocates say community demand could rise sharply in the coming weeks.
“This means thousands of neighbors visiting food banks for basic necessities, some of whom will be doing so for the first time,” the Arizona Food Bank Network stated. “Again, there is likely some overlap between the people already served at food banks and these critical nutrition programs, but food banks will undoubtedly need more supplies for more people.”
As the shutdown continues, community organizations are mobilizing to fill the gap. Among them is Homeless Youth Connection, a West Valley-based nonprofit that serves youth ages 13 to 21 who are experiencing homelessness.
The group’s annual Holiday Magic Starts Now campaign aims to ensure young people without stable housing don’t spend the holidays hungry or forgotten.
Through two initiatives, Thanksgiving: A Place at the Table and Winter Holiday Gift Bags, HYC provides grocery store gift cards, meals, and small presents to hundreds of teens across Maricopa County and Flagstaff.
“These are two very important events that take place every year at HYC,” said Robin Telle, the organization’s community engagement manager. “Our goal is to make sure our youth have an opportunity to participate, to feel seen and heard during the holidays.”
Telle said the campaign, which began in 2012, evolved over time to better meet the needs of families.
“We used to distribute food baskets, but some of our youth didn’t have access to cooking or had health restrictions,” she said. “Being able to shop on their own gives them dignity and lets them choose what they can eat and what they can’t.”
For many HYC participants, Telle said, the holidays are not a time of joy.
“The majority of the youth we spoke to said they didn’t have any favorite holiday traditions,” she said. “They’ve experienced lives of unpredictability and fluctuation, housing instability and food insecurity. For many, the holidays are just another day to survive.”
HYC staff and volunteers work to create moments of connection that foster normalcy. Telle recalled a Thanksgiving celebration at HYC’s transitional housing site in Glendale, where youth planned and prepared their own meal.
“They created the menu, decorated the dining area, and came together as a family,” she said. “For some of them, that was something they’d never experienced before. The warmth and love in that room was overwhelming.”
She added that seemingly small gestures like a gift card, a shared meal, or a holiday bag can have outsized emotional impact for teens trying to build stability.
“The holidays can reignite feelings of loss or abandonment,” she said. “What we want to do is help our youth feel that they belong somewhere, even for a moment.”
For Heather, an 18-year-old from Phoenix, that sense of belonging was transformative. She was referred to HYC by a school counselor after opening up about her home life.
“I have celebrated holidays with HYC, and they were able to help me with meals and gifts so that I could have food for myself and receive gifts even when no one else gave me anything,” she said.
Heather said the organization’s support helped her through a difficult period when she often hid her struggles from others.
“HYC is an amazing organization that helped me in desperate times of need and always made me feel like I was heard,” she said. “I was able to get hygiene needs taken care of in the worst of times, and it made my life easier because I didn’t want others to know how hard things were for me in my personal life.
HYC has even been able to provide me with help for my mental health, and I will be forever grateful for that.”
Her favorite tradition is spending the day in pajamas and shopping for presents to share with her loved ones.
Beyond seasonal giving, HYC’s core mission is educational stability. The organization partners with more than 130 high schools to identify and assist students experiencing homelessness. Each youth is paired with a youth coach, who serves as a mentor and accountability partner.
“Our overall mission is to help these young people graduate from high school,” Telle said. “We help them navigate barriers that could interrupt their education, whether that’s not having a laptop, lacking transportation, or not having access to healthcare.”
During the 2024–25 school year, HYC supported more than 700 youth, including 129 seniors who graduated and went on to college, careers, or military service.
Telle said graduation is often the turning point that allows youth to break cycles of homelessness and poverty.
Telle said that HYC’s programs are made possible through donations and volunteer support.
“Community involvement is incredibly important to us,” she said. “Once people learn how many teens in their neighborhoods are experiencing homelessness, they want to help, and that generosity is what keeps these programs going.”
Residents can donate grocery or retail gift cards, assemble gift bags, or volunteer their time. Suggested grocery card values are up to $75 from Safeway, Fry’s, Bashas’ or Walmart. Holiday gift bags typically include four $25 Walmart cards, one $25 fast-food card, and optional Amazon or Target cards.
As the federal shutdown stretches on, the USDA has not indicated when November’s Nutrition Assistance benefits will be released. For the nearly 900,000 Arizonans who rely on SNAP, and for the hundreds of young people served by HYC, the uncertainty looms large.
Still, Telle said the compassion of the community offers reassurance.
“Even when the world feels uncertain, everyone deserves to know they matter,” she said. “That’s what we try to show our youth every day, especially during the holidays.”
Visit des.az.gov/na for Nutrition Assistance updates.
James Goldmeer Reporter | Goodyear & Litchfield Park
Meet James James Goldmeer joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2024, starting their career as a reporter in Goodyear and Litchfield Park.
Community: James grew up in the West Valley, calling Avondale home and going to school in Glendale and Peoria. Returning to the community after university, James plans to get involved in everything arts and culture, and civil rights.
Education: Northern Arizona University a bachelor's degree in Journalism, a certificate in Professional Communications, with a minor in English.
Random Fact: James spent half a year as an intern for the Arizona House of Representatives communication team, working with legislators to inform the public through press releases and social media.
Hobbies: James collects postcards and old books, reads memoirs and attends local jazz shows.
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