Full SNAP benefits were restored to Montezuma County residents Thursday, ending nearly two weeks without aid in a community already facing high rates of food insecurity.
Officials from the Colorado Department of Human Services said this week that this month’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be issued after Congress approved a funding bill late Wednesday that ended the longest federal government shutdown in history. The bill reopens U.S. agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP.
In a news release, CDHS said benefits are being distributed “as rapidly as possible” Thursday afternoon and guaranteed participants will receive full December benefits. The record-long government shutdown lasted 43 days. While certain federal programs are funded only through January, the state department said USDA funding extends through September 2026.
Participants will see their payments automatically loaded onto their EBT cards. Montezuma County Social Services Director Kelli Hargraves said residents who do not see benefits can call the number on the back of their card or contact the Montezuma County Department of Social Services at (970) 565-3769.
Hargraves said SNAP benefits are a lifeline for many households and help them meet daily needs.
The pause affected 4,912 county users in Montezuma and Dolores counties – areas already struggling with food insecurity.
Within the county, 18.2% of school-aged children in the population of 26,204 experience food insecurity. Nearly 60% qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, and 13.6% of all county residents are food insecure, according to Good Food Collective data.
Hargraves said during the two-week lapse, the county department saw a surge in callers trying to understand what was happening.
“On Monday, Nov. 10, alone we had 180 phone calls,” Hargraves wrote in an email to The Journal.
She added: “When people called and came in, they were sad and resigned with lots of statements like: ‘What if I really need the benefits?’ or ‘What should I do, I don’t have any food in my house?’ Our agency sent out resource lists via hand delivery, email and mail to every person that called or walked in.”
Hargraves said the disruption forced families to make tough decisions between buying food and paying rent, utilities, car loans or medications. She said this destabilization creates consequences that trickle down, with potential evictions, utility shutoffs and health concerns.
The disruption saw a surge in demand for local food banks and community food programs.
Vicki Shaffer, Montezuma County public information officer, said Good Sam’s Pantry saw a “significant increase” in visitors during the shutdown. Shaffer said Grace’s Kitchen – which offers free lunches Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – recorded the highest turnout in its history.
“Local food banks and soup kitchens last week saw a 25%-160% increase in need. The Good Samaritan Center served 750 people and 300 households in one week,” Hargraves said.
She added the food banks saw record numbers since the first of the month, which is typically the slowest week because people usually receive their SNAP benefits then.
Hargraves said the local community mobilized, offering major support: “In addition, we saw the community step up in many ways: food donations, volunteer efforts, food drives, and monetary donations. This has made a huge impact for our community providers.”
The move reverses earlier guidance that would have limited Colorado’s regular November assistance to 65%. Since the pause was announced in October, the state said it received contradictory and at times confusing guidance from the federal government about whether SNAP would be funded and by how much.
At first, USDA said no benefits would be paid, then legal action allowed some to be provided. The state said after a judge ordered the USDA to full pay SNAP, it started doling out funds to some 32,0000 recipients, only to halt the program after the U.S. Supreme Court granted the Trump Administration the funding pause.
