No Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be issued in Mississippi due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
SNAP provides benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budgets. SNAP for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, also won’t be issued for November.
More than 350,000 people in Mississippi won’t receive their help this month, so many people have to turn to local food pantries and free meal services for help.
The Edwards Street Fellowship Center has been working to be prepared to serve twice as many people as they have in the previous months.
“The Edwards Street Fellowship Center Pantry so far in 2025 has served around 2,000 households every month, and those households are made-up of 6,000 individuals. So we are preparing as if we are going to get twice as many,” said Ann McCullen, the executive director.
“We pray that that’s not the case for the sake of 2,000 more households affected but we’ve already started purchasing the food and tons of people are bringing food donations in, which is great,” she said.
Due to the ongoing shutdown it is unclear when recipients will receive SNAP benefits again. If a client has a balance on their EBT card from the previous month, those funds are still availible to be used.
In the meantime, people that receive SNAP benefits should still report household changes, submit request verifications and complete any interviews.
The food pantry is able to assist people who live in Covington, Forrest, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jones, and Lamar counties. The eligibility is determined by household income using Mississippi Food Network guidelines. To receive food from the Edwards Street food pantry, all you need to bring is a photo ID, and no appointment is needed.
“It’s okay if it’s expired, or if it has an old address. It can be a school ID, voter ID, drivers licence, a prison ID, just some type of valid ID,” said McCullen.
As a part of a Make a Difference day on Saturday, Nov. 8, the food pantry will partner with the city of Hattieburg to host a food drive to help people in need. It will be held at the Walmart on Highway 49 and Highway 98 in Hattiesburg from 9 a.m to 3 p.m.
The list of most needed items can be found on the Edwards Street Fellowship Center website at EdwardsStreet.org.
