SHEBOYGAN COUNTY – More than 12,000 recipients of food assistance, about half of them children, could be impacted in Sheboygan County if federal funds for the state program run out by the end of the month because of the ongoing government shutdown.
Patrick Boyle, executive director of the Sheboygan County Food Bank, said the team is closely monitoring what impact the shutdown will have on FoodShare, the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and if there could be a potential increase in demand at SCFB if those benefits run out.
“We remain steadfast in our ongoing commitment to ensure that families, including many children, veterans and seniors, have access to emergency food during times of uncertainty and that no one in Sheboygan County goes hungry,” Boyle said in an email.
A monthly average of 12,429 individuals living in Sheboygan County have received FoodShare this year, according to Wisconsin Department of Health Services data.
Empty shelves seen at the Sheboygan County Food Bank in July 2025.
In an Oct. 21 letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers urged the Trump administration to transfer temporary funds for SNAP during the shutdown and prevent 700,000 Wisconsinites from losing access to food.
This was previously done to keep Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children funded, with the USDA transferring $300 million to support WIC through October.
Evers said SNAP “… provides vital support to hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites who, like everyone else, depend on basic necessities like food to survive. This program represents one of our most tested but important American ideals — our responsibility to care for and about our neighbors.”
WDHS, which administers the federal benefits for FoodShare, said benefits could be delayed. They may not be available via EBT cards to make purchases in November, including remaining funds from October. The department suggested FoodShare recipients stock up on nonperishable items before the end of the month.
Funding for WIC and Head Start, a federally funded early childhood education program for low-income families, is expected to run out Nov. 1, too, USA TODAY reported.
U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman is confident the Trump administration will pull through on allocating temporary funds.
“Donald Trump has worked hard to keep the WIC program going, and I’m sure he’ll look to work as hard as he can to keep SNAP going,” Grothman told the Sheboygan Press. “If he isn’t able to keep it going, I’ll personally contribute something towards it.”
Sheboygan County Food Bank will need community support if pantries see an increased demand, says executive director
Before the expected delay in FoodShare funds, inflation, rising costs of food and the end of pandemic-era supplemental benefits created a growing need for SCFB support over the last few years. In 2023, the food bank supported 5,000 families a month, which was a 60% increase from 2022. That grew to an average of 6,000 families in 2024.
SCFB has seen 5,350 family visits this year, according to available data through September. The Sheboygan Cares Food Pantry, the largest in the food bank’s network, has served more than 1,000 families a month, on average.
Boyle said it’s unclear how much demand could increase across the SCFB’s network of 36 pantries and partner agencies if FoodShare benefits are delayed.
“We will need the community to help us even more than they do already and remain grateful that Sheboygan County residents truly care about their neighbors,” he said.
Furloughed federal workers have increasingly utilized food banks across the country already this month. Boyle said SCFB doesn’t have specific data on federal employees who may be visiting local food banks.
Still, he said the Sheboygan Cares Food Pantry saw a 24% increase in new household visits in October. SCFB doesn’t have this month’s data yet for other pantries.
Clarissa Roberts, economic support and child support manager with the Sheboygan County Health & Human Service Department, said the division has seen an increase in calls from residents with questions about FoodShare benefits during the government shutdown. She anticipates that call volume could rise during the continued period of uncertainty.
Roberts encourages residents to contact the WDHS and elected representatives to call for a timely resolution.
An exterior view of the Sheboygan County Food Bank warehouse entrance in Sheboygan, Wis.
Democrats and Republicans have failed to reach an agreement over health care funding and tax credits for the Affordable Care Act during the appropriations process, many representatives blaming the other party for the government still being shut down.
Most recently, the Senate failed to pass the Shutdown Fairness Act, stopgap funding that would pay federal workers, military members and contractors who are working during the government shutdown.
Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican, voted for it, and fellow Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat, voted against it. Baldwin co-sponsored a different piece of legislation, the Military and Federal Protection Act, that would pay all federal employees, including those furloughed, during the shutdown and restrict the Trump administration from using the funding for other purposes. It did not make it to a vote.
Grothman said he is “still optimistic that the people voting to close the government come to their senses” before FoodShare funds are set to run out.
Sheboygan County Food Bank in need of donated cereal, pasta
Cereal, pasta, pasta sauce and canned tuna are the most needed items at the Sheboygan County Food Bank. Donations for unexpired, non-perishable and perishable food can be dropped off at Door C of the food bank, 3115 N. 21st St., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.
Supporters can also make a monetary donation and learn about hosting a food drive at sheboygancountyfoodbank.com.
Where to find local pantries, free meal sites in Sheboygan County
Individuals and families needing emergency food or seeking information about local food pantries and free meal sites can learn more at sheboygancountyfoodbank.com/find-help/.
Call 211 or 877-947-2211 or go to 211wisconsin.communityos.org to find out about other food resources or assistance in the area.
Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: FoodShare delays could cause influx at Sheboygan County Food Bank
