Lt. Gov. Coleman, FCPS officials urge donations ahead of Nov. 1 SNAP funding cutoff
Editor’s note, 2:45 p.m. Oct. 31: In a bench ruling out of Rhode Island, a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to pay federal nutrition benefits to millions of Americans amid the government shutdown using emergency funds. It wasn’t immediately clear if and when SNAP benefits will proceed.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, Lexington school and food bank officials encouraged people to donate to local food banks and feeding sites Friday, one day before the nation’s largest nutritional assistance program runs out of money.
“If you are able to contribute, it would be greatly appreciated by the 271,000 households across Kentucky. This is what we do on Team Kentucky. When we see neighbors in need, we stand up, we show up and we help,” Coleman said while speaking at a God’s Pantry Food Bank site in Lexington.
During the press conference, Coleman blasted President Donald Trump’s administration for failing to fund the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly called food stamps. Nearly 600,0000 people and more than 271,000 Kentucky households are served by SNAP, which helps low-income individuals buy groceries each month.
“Make no mistake, cutting SNAP benefits is a choice,” Coleman said. “Our taxpayer money has already paid for this program. The money is there.”
The Trump administration said earlier this week the program would be out of money Nov. 1 due to the federal government shutdown, which started Oct. 1.
Gov. Andy Beshear joined a lawsuit with 24 other states and the District of Columbia, demanding the Trump administration tap a contingency fund to restart the program, which 42 million people across the country rely on. The Trump administration and some Republicans have argued federal officials cannot legally use the contingency fund.
A federal judge in Boston could rule as early as Friday. Still, even if the judge rules the $5 billion in contingency funds should be released to help pay for the program, it will take several days to get the SNAP program up and running, Coleman said.
Coleman said 92,000 of the people who receive SNAP benefits in Kentucky are older than age 60. More than 250,000 are children, and another 60,000 are individuals with disabilities. SNAP data for May 2025 shows 595,155 people in Kentucky receive the benefits. That’s roughly 13% of Kentucky’s households.
“These are our families. They are our friends,” Coleman said.
Beshear has said the state does not have the money to fund the program for November, which would cost $106 million. However, at least one food pantry officials has appealed to the governor to call a special legislative session required for the state to tap its contingency, or rainy day, fund to help pay for the program.
Food banks & pantries already see surge in demand
Pantries and feeding sites across Kentucky have already seen a surge in demand prior to the SNAP cutoff, officials say.
Danielle Bozarth, vice president of God’s Pantry, said the organization needs more donations to keep up with demand. The food bank serves 50 Central and Eastern Kentucky counties at more than 500 locations.
“Of the 100 most food insecure counties in the nation, 18 are right here in Central and Eastern Kentucky,” Bozarth said. ”And now with the federal government shutdown, the challenges have intensified. Seventeen thousand federal workers in our region are facing missed paychecks at the same time.”
There is good news.
The free and reduced lunch and breakfast program, which serves more than 500,000 Kentucky school children, has not been affected by the shutdown. Children will still be able to access free breakfast and lunches, Fayette County Public Schools officials said Friday.
Michelle Cocker, director of child nutrition for FCPS, said the vast majority of Fayette County Public Schools are part of the community eligibility provision, which allows all students to get a free breakfast and lunch. If a child attends a school that is not part of the provision and needs meals due to a loss of SNAP benefits, they should contact the school, Cocker said.
Raine Engle-Minichan, associate director of student support services for FCPS, said students who need additional help, like snacks or food when school is not in session, should contact their school’s family resource center.
“We know that the freeze of SNAP benefits will create hardship and some families, this will be the very first time they have to ask for services. To those who are newly facing food insecurity, please hear this: There is no shame in needing support, and we are here for you,” Engle-Minichan said.
FCPS relies heavily on donations from God’s Pantry for most of its auxiliary food programs. Engle-Minichan encouraged people to donate food or money to the pantry to boost that effort.
“We’ll make sure everyone in our school community is supported,” she said.
But God’s Pantry and the schools can’t do it alone.
“We need you, our community, our neighbors to join us now,” Engle-Minichan said.
To find out how to donate to God’s Pantry or to find a pantry or feeding site in your area go to www.godspantry.org.
This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 1:56 PM.
