PINE BLUFF, Ark. — As uncertainty grows over federal food assistance, local food pantries are bracing for another surge in need. The Trump administration announced Monday it will partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) after two federal judges ordered the government to keep the program running during the shutdown.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 240,000 Arkansans depend on SNAP each month. The agency says it will distribute a $4.65 billion emergency fund to provide roughly half of the nation’s normal benefits for November. But the USDA also warned that distributing those funds could take weeks or even months.

That delay is already being felt in Jefferson County, where Neighbor to Neighbor in Pine Bluff is working hard to meet demand.

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