Thousands line up for emergency food aid in Las Vegas amid uncertainty over SNAP benefits

Robert and Lauren Lewis sat in their car Saturday as they inched ahead in line at an outdoor food bank at the College of Southern Nevada campus in North Las Vegas.

The couple were just two among the thousands in need, including SNAP recipients and federal government employees, who showed up Saturday morning at different locations around the Las Vegas Valley to receive emergency food aid amid uncertainty surrounding the nation’s largest food assistance program and an ongoing federal government shutdown.

“Hopefully, if people see all the people out here today, our leaders can get something done,” Lauren Lewis said. “There’s not much we can do other than wait and see what happens.”

Three Square Food Bank partnered with UNLV, CSN, and two churches — TCMI Church in Las Vegas and Central Church in Henderson — to provide fresh produce and nonperishable goods.

Three Square President and CEO Beth Martino said the organization was prepared at each site to supply enough food to feed about 1,000 families.

At CSN, close to 100 vehicles remained in a winding line 10 minutes before noon on Saturday, when the giveaway was set to end.

President Donald Trump’s administration had planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Saturday. But on Friday, a pair of federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ordered the administration to use contingency funds to sustain the program during the ongoing government shutdown, which began Oct. 1 and is now the second longest in history.

The SNAP program serves about 1 in 8 Americans, or about 42 million people, and costs about $8 billion per month. Nevada’s SNAP program, fully funded by the federal government, costs about $90 million a month.

Around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, seniors, college students, and families arrived at the Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV, carrying laundry baskets and shopping crates, as hundreds of cars formed lines. Volunteers bagged carrots, squash, and onions to distribute to the families.

Among the volunteers was Assemblymember Howard Watts, D-Las Vegas, who wore a red UNLV shirt.

“SNAP is a lifeline that provides for one in six Nevadans,” Watts said. “I went to college here, and this is my district. It was important for me to come out to serve and support the community.”

Martino told reporters that in recent weeks, she has noticed a growing number of people seeking help who never imagined they would need it.

“Even before the shutdown, at Three Square, we saw a 16 percent jump in the number of people we served. That need has skyrocketed this month, adding the folks who are affected by the SNAP pause,” Martino said. “We have thousands of people who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, so it has certainly been a challenge all across our community.”

Martino said that Three Square’s phones had been “ringing off the hook” with people wanting to volunteer with local pantries and donate food since last week.

“This is what our community does,” Martino said. “We support each other, and it’s vital.”

Martino called Friday’s federal court rulings “encouraging,” but said it could take weeks for SNAP beneficiaries actually to receive funds on their cards.

TCMI Church’s parking lot also experienced steady traffic since the church opened at 5:30 a.m. for its weekly community pantry. This weekend, the church partnered with Three Square to also reach those affected by the SNAP lapse.

Aline Ishumi, a mother of five and nursing student, said that food donated by Three Square and TCMI would provide for her family while she studied and searched for a job.

“Without getting food stamps, I worried how I would feed my children,” Ishumi said as her eyes watered. “This definitely alleviates some stress.”

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.