Auburn, WA food bank, school district brace for SNAP freeze

Looming SNAP benefit freeze forces Auburn, WA food bank to seek emergency help

With SNAP benefits facing a freeze beginning November 1, the Auburn School District and the Auburn Food Bank are urgently teaming up to ensure no child goes hungry this weekend.

AUBURN, Wash. - We’re just one day away from SNAP benefits being frozen due to the government shutdown, and families across western Washington are scrambling to figure out how to put food on the table.

In Auburn, the school district and the local food bank are teaming up to make sure no child goes hungry.

About two-thirds of Auburn students qualify for free or reduced meals. Superintendent Alan Spicciati says 200 families in the district are experiencing homelessness — and the pause in SNAP benefits will only make things worse.

"We do all that we can to provide food through the school, through some of our grant funders and our School Foundation and our partnership with the Auburn Food Bank," Spicciati said. "But SNAP is going to exacerbate that."

SNAP benefits suspended amid government shutdown

Why you should care:

The district already offers free breakfast and lunch to every student — plus dinner programs and summer meals — but that only covers part of the year.

"Families are trying to make ends meet without SNAP," Spicciati said. "There's gonna be a lot of families, working families, people pulling their weight, but they're coming up short, and we're doing the best we can to support them."

At the Auburn Food Bank, the need is already overwhelming. Director Debbie Christian says as of Thursday afternoon, 249 families had come through looking for food — and many were first-timers.

"Our concern is, what are the numbers going to look like?" Christian said. "So a couple of years ago, you know, 100 families coming through a day was kind of your norm. We're capped at 200 right now."

Dig deeper:

Christian has led the food bank for more than two decades, helping feed families across Auburn — and she says the situation is getting dire.

"Nothing is easy to come in here. Nobody wants to come to a food bank," Christian said. "So when you walk through that door, it's your last hope. So that's where we are at, and we try to make it as easy as possible on the family that's come in here."

For 22 years, the district and the food bank have worked hand-in-hand to collect donations and keep shelves stocked. But this year, Christian says, the usual cushion is gone — and they’re already dipping into Thanksgiving funds.

"I don't have any more than what you see right here," Christian said. "We go through about 8,000 pounds of food a day. I don't have anything on the back burner that I can save. So it is a scary thought. What is going to happen in a couple of weeks? It's already bad."

What you can do:

Superintendent Spicciati's message to the community is simple, "Our kids are worth investing in, so please give to your food banks. Do a little bit more. It makes a huge difference."

The Auburn Food Bank will host its biggest fundraiser of the year, the Harvest Breakfast, on Friday, Nov. 7 from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at Grace Community Church in Auburn. Proceeds will help ensure families have meals through the fall and winter.

Send your table reservations to Debbie Christian — the event is free to attend, but space is limited.

MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE

Massive WA drug, gun trafficking group busted, 10 arrested

4 pm sunsets to return to Seattle. Here's when

ID killer Bryan Kohberger gets money while claiming he can't pay victims: prosecutors

On a hot streak: FOX 13's Aaron Levine wins 3rd straight Jeopardy episode

Family files lawsuit against Seattle following teen's death at Gas Works Park

US Navy aircraft crash in South China Sea; USS Nimitz returns to WA

Washington food banks see more traffic as SNAP benefits set to end

Seattle groups gear up to help Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.