FRANKFORT, KY — Gov. Andy Beshear (D) is deploying the Kentucky National Guard to help staff food banks as the federal government shutdown continues to disrupt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than 600,000 residents.
The move follows Beshear’s decision to direct $5 million from the state’s “rainy day fund” to Feeding Kentucky, a statewide network of food banks strained by surging demand. “Every dollar we’re providing can go toward purchasing food,” Beshear said Wednesday. “The Guard will help ensure Feeding Kentucky can distribute meals without the hardship of finding extra staff.”
SNAP funding delays have worsened food insecurity across Kentucky, where 645,000 residents relied on the program in October. The U.S. Department of Agriculture previously said it would not use contingency funds to continue benefits during the shutdown, though it later announced partial November payments.
President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the funding halt, writing on social media that SNAP benefits would resume “only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government.”
Beshear said the state received confirmation that federal payments will begin processing Thursday. “Our teams will work day and night to get assistance out,” he said.
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