State's largest food bank concerned of 'dire impact' in NC over possible cuts to SNAP

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Across North Carolina, 1.4 million people rely on the supplemental federal program known as SNAP for food assistance. Many are children, disabled, or elderly.

The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina covers over 30 counties.

They say new cuts to SNAP from the federal spending bill would only add insult to injury after they've already seen prices going up, while other programs are also on the chopping block.

"On top of the cuts to SNAP, we're also losing critical funding for school meals and the cuts to Medicaid, the impact that will have to the health of our community is absolutely devastating," says President and CEO Amy Beros.

They say that while budgets and funding issues have happened before, the scale of this one is hard to ignore

For every 1 meal they provide, SNAP provides 9.

And with that level of cuts, even donations and state funding may not be enough.

"We know that it's going to be dire once these cuts take effect at the end of next year, and there's no way for us to be able to fill that gap," she says.

While it's unclear what the final impacts will be, the cuts from the bill are expected to take effect in 2026.