Shutdown leaves Korean families in US scrambling for groceries

A customer walks into a bakery in Chicago, Nov. 2, as a SNAP EBT information sign is displayed at the front door. AP-Yonhap

Across the U.S., low-income families are tightening their grocery budgets as the federal government shutdown drags into its sixth week. With food stamp benefits in limbo, many are unsure whether they will get money for groceries this month, and community centers from Los Angeles to New York are fielding anxious calls from families worried about how to put food on the table.

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly benefits to about 42 million Americans, including thousands of Korean American households. But as the shutdown continues without a spending agreement, several states have warned that November deposits could be delayed or reduced.

The White House said Monday that it would release limited emergency funds to provide partial food benefits this month, though officials cautioned the money would cover only a fraction of normal payments and could take weeks or even months to reach recipients.

For many who rely on food aid from SNAP, the uncertainty has turned into panic.

“They say EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) payments in California are delayed or not coming in at all. This is serious. Things are already tough, and that little help made a big difference,” one user wrote on MissyUSA, the largest Korean-language online community in the U.S.

Another commenter said, “The money usually comes in on the first of every month, but it hasn’t because of the shutdown. I’m anxiously checking my account every day. My husband and daughter in elementary school have been living on that, so I don’t know what to do now.”

These posts echo the growing anxiety among low-income people, particularly the elderly, who rely on this monthly support to live on. Community advocates say the disruption in benefits adds strain to households already struggling with rising rent and grocery costs.

People pick up food at a temporary food distribution center, organized by the Alameda County Community Food Bank in cooperation with Alameda County Social Services Agency, in Oakland, Calif., Nov. 6. These temporary pantries are to help serve people in need during the lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to ongoing federal government shutdown. EPA-Yonhap

“A significant number of Korean seniors are EBT card holders,” said Kim Yoon-soo, manager at Koreatown Senior & Community Center in Los Angeles. “We’re getting a high number of inquiries on how long this delay will last and whether they will be receiving money.”

Food banks in major cities report a surge in demand, with some opening extended hours to help fill the gap. State officials in New York, California and Washington have pledged temporary assistance, but those efforts cover only a fraction of what families normally receive through SNAP.

Local Korean associations, churches, and small businesses are stepping in to help. Community centers in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York have begun organizing food drives and delivering groceries to elderly residents who rely on government benefits. Volunteers say they are pooling donations and coordinating with food banks to make sure the elderly in their neighborhoods get food as the shutdown continues.