As SNAP funding dries up, food banks see growing lines and rising frustration across Arizona

PHOENIX — The line outside St. Mary’s Food Bank in west Phoenix stretched for blocks again Friday, as Arizona families faced another day of uncertainty over where their next meal would come from.

Food banks across the state are reporting a spike in demand — with St. Mary’s seeing a 10% increase in the number of people seeking help. And with federal SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits at risk of running out amid a prolonged government shutdown, those numbers are only expected to climb.

For people like Larry, who waited more than an hour under the afternoon sun, the long line was a small price to pay compared to the alternative.

“Even though the lines are long, you know you have to do what you have to do if you don’t have any food at home to eat,” he said. “It’s a bi