ROANOKE, Va. – Virginia is launching an emergency program to ensure families don’t go hungry when federal SNAP benefits pause due to the government shutdown, becoming the first state in the nation to use state funds for food assistance benefits.
The Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance Program (VENA) will begin Monday, November 3, affecting approximately 850,000 individuals across 430,000 households when federal SNAP benefits pause November 1.
“Last week, Governor Youngkin declared a state of emergency due to the federal shutdown because we knew that 850,000 Virginians would be without basic nutrition in November if we didn’t develop a solution,” said Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet Kelly. “He came up with a very creative and courageous solution called the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance Effort.”
How the Program Works
Current SNAP recipients will automatically receive weekly VENA payments on their existing EBT cards, with benefits distributed according to a new weekly schedule:
- Recipients who normally get benefits on the 1st of the month will receive weekly VENA benefits on Mondays
- Those who typically receive benefits on the 4th will get weekly payments on Wednesdays
- Recipients whose benefits usually arrive on the 7th will receive weekly payments on Fridays
“If Virginians were eligible for SNAP in October of 2025, they are automatically eligible for this program,” Kelly explained. “It’s the exact same card for the VENA effort.”
The weekly payments will represent 25% of a household’s regular monthly benefit. For example, a household that normally receives $200 monthly will receive $50 weekly payments.
Funding and Implementation
“By declaring a state of emergency, Governor Youngkin is able to access Virginia state tax dollars called general fund monies or some sufficient funds. And so that’s the funding that is being used here. It’s the same funding that is used in a natural disaster like a hurricane or a tornado,” Kelly said. “But of course, we know that this, unfortunately, is a man-made disaster.”
The program was developed in just 10 days, though officials note it would typically require two weeks to establish.
“The VENA program should have taken us two weeks to set up, and we got it done in 10 days,” Kelly noted, crediting the Virginia Department of Social Services for their efforts.
Additional Support Measures
To address potential gaps and temporary disruptions as the program launches, the state is taking additional measures:
- Providing an additional $1 million to Virginia food banks
- Working with localities that are investing in their food banks
- Maintaining the same eligibility standards as the federal SNAP program
- Planning contingency efforts through existing networks of food pantries
Impact on Local Food Pantries
Local food pantries are preparing for increased demand. At Christian Soldiers Food Pantry in Roanoke, concerns are rising about their ability to serve additional clients if the shutdown continues.
“I really wonder how they’re able to supply all these people in line five days a week. I’ve been to other pantries before, and we can only come once a month,” said Francisco Pablo, who has relied on the pantry’s services for over two years.
The pantry may need to adjust its operations to accommodate more clients. “We might have to back it up to where it’s going to be every other week if it continues on the way it is now,” said Donald Latray, Assistant Manager of Christian Soldiers Food Pantry.
Virginia’s Unique Position
Kelly explained why Virginia can implement this program while other states cannot: “We had an existing infrastructure for a similar program already in existence that we were able to work with. But the main reason that this is possible for Virginians is because of the prudent financial management of Virginia during the Youngkin administration and the extremely just historic private sector investment of over $143 billion into the Commonwealth over the last four years.”
While the program is currently funded through November, officials emphasize this is a temporary solution.
“This is a life, health and safety issue for Virginians,” Kelly emphasized. “This is a good solution. It really is. We’re comfortable with it. We’re confident that it was the right thing to do. We shouldn’t have to do it. This is a federal government program.”
For more detailed information about VENA, including frequently asked questions and updates, residents can visit the Virginia Department of Social Services website at dss.virginia.gov/vena/.