Organizations devoted to helping financially strapped Hawaii families were scrambling Monday after the federal Food and Nutrition Service told states that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — or SNAP — will be suspended beginning Saturday because of the federal government shutdown.

The suspension affects over 160,000 SNAP recipients across the islands, or more than 80,000 households, according to the state Department of Human Services.

As long as the shutdown continues, no additional SNAP funding will be added to Electronic Benefit Transfer cards needed to make SNAP purchases — although participants can still spend any remaining October funds in November.

“All November 2025 SNAP benefit allotments are suspended effective Nov. 1, 2025, and will remain suspended until suffici

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