Catholic Charities USA launches national fundraising effort to support those losing access to food assistance programs

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With millions of Americans set to lose access on Saturday to federal food assistance programs, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) has launched an emergency fundraising effort to supply food to Catholic Charities agencies around the country. Due to the ongoing shutdown of the federal government, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will lapse on Nov. 1.  

"For low-income families and individuals who rely on SNAP and WIC to put food on their tables, this could be a catastrophic moment," CCUSA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson said. "The Catholic Charities network stands ready to come to the aid of our vulnerable brothers and sisters during this time of dire need."  

Donations can be made at https://ccusa.online/shutdown to help provide meals for those most at risk. All of the funds raised through this effort will be used to buy and ship food directly to Catholic Charities agencies throughout the country that operate food pantries, soup kitchens, food delivery programs and a variety of other initiatives to support those facing hunger or food insecurity.  

Catholic Charities agencies and other organizations that provide food to those in need are already stretched thin, and a lapse in SNAP and WIC benefits will lead to an immediate and even greater surge of demand around the country. Children, seniors and people with disabilities will be among those most affected. Even a lapse of a few days of assistance could force families that depend on SNAP and WIC to go hungry.   

"The ongoing government shutdown is not merely a political negotiation. It has created incredibly serious, real-life consequences for millions of people, from furloughed federal workers to those living in poverty who will now struggle even more to provide for their families," Robinson said. "It is past time for congressional leaders of both parties and the administration to forge a bipartisan path to reopen the government and provide relief to all those who are suffering. In the meantime, Catholic Charities agencies will continue to live out their Gospel call to provide compassionate, merciful aid to those most in need in their communities." 

Founded in 1910, CCUSA is a national membership organization that supports and represents 168 independent Catholic Charities agencies nationwide. Collectively, the Catholic Charities network serves more than 15 million vulnerable people each year, regardless of their faith or background, through food and nutrition programs, affordable housing, disaster relief and a variety of other humanitarian services.  

SOURCE Catholic Charities USA