Federal shutdown impacts Gunnison County

SNAP benefits freeze leads to multi-agency response

By Katherine Nettles

The ongoing federal government shutdown impacts have the potential to ripple across Gunnison County in several ways in the coming weeks, and local organizations are preparing to respond to food insecurity as well as system delays for grant funds, business licenses and even home sales in some cases, among other potential issues. 

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has put Colorado’s November 2025 SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits on hold, which means individuals and families that receive aid for purchasing food will not receive their assistance next month. 

Gunnison County Health and Human Services (HHS) reported that it administers approximately $218,000 in monthly SNAP benefits to about 695 households in the community. 

To address this shortfall, both the Gunnison Country Food Pantry and Mountain Roots Food Project are stepping forward as food resources ready to provide more than their usual operations. 

County commissioner Liz Smith has been meeting with HHS staff as well as those involved with the food pantry and Mountain Roots. She reported to fellow commissioners last week that having been on various state webinars, the state has tried to get a unified message to all counties regarding how people will be affected and how people can help. “That message is that food pantries do not need volunteers, they do not need people to drop off food; they need actual monetary resources…to leverage bulk buying,” she said. Smith reported that her localized conversations tell a more nuanced story, though. 

The Gunnison Country Food Pantry serves between 400 to 600 people on average each week, and its total monthly costs are between $50,000 and $60,000 for operations, staff, purchasing and generally “keeping the lights on,” as pantry executive director Jodi Payne says. 

On Tuesday, October 28, the food pantry held an emergency board meeting to approve its contingency plan. 

Food pantry contingency 

response

As the pantry extends hours and distribution, Payne noted that costs may well go up, and they will absolutely need support in many forms.

“Calculating food costs can be so complex because we receive a lot of donated food,” she says. But the average pantry visitor takes home about $60 worth of food, and the total food costs for the pantry are between $6,000 and $8,000 per month. Payne said they are only making estimations for now, but the pantry is preparing for an increase of costs to cover the SNAP freeze that could range from $13,000 to $30,000 per month. 

“Until this [lapse in SNAP disbursements] hits and we see how many people come in we can’t be sure,” she says. 

Payne confirmed that when sending out its messaging, “the state never asked us what we need.” She echoed Smith’s analysis that they can in fact use help from the community in many ways. “We will need volunteers. And if someone brings us $100 in food instead, or $100, in our community all three options work. We want help in whatever works the best for people.”

Mountain Roots expands 

distribution

Mountain Roots is the second-largest food relief provider in the county. “We currently serve 160 households (400+ individuals) on a weekly basis, delivering 45,000-plus pounds of fresh healthy food each year,” explains Mountain Roots development coordinator Jennifer Greene. “We are working closely with the Gunnison Country Food Pantry to prepare an emergency response to meet the anticipated surge in food requests.”

The plan includes extended hours and Saturday food distribution, expanding the Backyard Harvest program for 50 additional families, support for Americorps members and additional holiday box distribution. 

The combined cost of these emergency measures for November is approximately $15,000, estimates Greene. This does not include staff labor to procure, receive, pack, deliver or associated navigation support. “Mountain Roots will absorb those labor costs internally; we’re seeking funds specifically to cover the food itself, so that fresh, healthy food keeps flowing to those who need it most,” she says.

County leaders have emphasized that the impacts of the shutdown are most acute with the coming hold on SNAP funding for November, but there are other areas of impact as well. Cathie Pagano, assistant county manager for community & economic development, noted that FEMA, federal public lands managers and others have also been waylaid.

“FEMA is part of the shutdown, and some services are affected,” she said. These include issuing insurance policies for new business; issuing policies for requests to increase or add coverage; or issuing renewal notices. 

“Existing policies that do not expire during the shutdown will still be in effect and claims can be paid out, however with the lapse in authority, thousands of real estate transactions where flood insurance is required by Congress could be impacted,” added Pagano. She also cited a  Congressional Research Service brief in March calculating that during the June 2010 lapse, an estimated 1,400 home sales were canceled or delayed each day, representing over 40,000 sales per month. “These figures applied to residential properties, but commercial properties were also affected,” said Pagano.

Last, Pagano said that federal agencies cannot participate in the county’s Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (STOR) Committee meetings during the shutdown which may delay progress on some local goals.

Smith noted that other federal services may also be impacted such as TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and WIC (Women Infants and Children) benefits. There has not yet been a state determination on either program for November.

“Regarding HHS more generally, we are still working through various funding issues that are not necessarily related directly to the shutdown, but more broadly to the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill,” said county communications director Patty Schmitz. 

County officials have concluded that the federal shutdown has other, still unknown potential impacts. These have ranged from the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District’s ability to work with federal agencies and determine potential reservoir plans for releases to potential grant funding for projects the county is overseeing. “Obviously this is going to have a significant impact on our community, and we are all hoping for a quick resolution to the shutdown to try to avert these issues,” said Schmitz.

Gunnison County Health and Human Services is also ready to assist those affected or with questions. Their hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and during Walk-In Wednesdays (9 a.m. to 12 p.m.) at 220 N. Spruce Street.