Alabama food bank warns government shutdown could affect SNAP, WIC benefits

HOMEWOOD, Ala. (WIAT) -- The effects of the federal government shutdown are beginning to reach Alabama.

Alabama Arise, a nonprofit that advocates for low-income residents who receive benefits such as SNAP, says there has been little communication from the federal government about how programs like food assistance will be affected if the shutdown continues.

For now, funding for SNAP and WIC benefits is expected to last through the end of October. What happens after that remains unclear.

At the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, most shelves remain stocked, though some areas — especially those typically supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — are running low. CEO Nicole Williams said that shortage is partly due to the shutdown.

“We're also, of course, concerned as the shutd