A new food bank opened Friday at the Waipio Soccer Complex, where more than 400 families lined up for fresh produce, milk, eggs, bread, and canned goods. According to the Hawai‘i Foodbank, most of these families had experienced a loss of wages or employment. Collectively, all the people in line represented 1,800 individual family members.
A third of those who came said they did so because of the expected suspension of federal SNAP benefits starting today. The other two-thirds had lost jobs or incomes, suggesting that many were federal employees working without paychecks amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
In response to the SNAP suspension, the state has allocated $2 million to the Hawai‘i Foodbank to distribute to its partner food banks across the islands. Lt. Gov. S. Rep. Jill Tokuda was on site, helping load groceries into the vehicles of needy families at the soccer complex. The new location distributed an estimated 12,000 pounds of food during the event.
The Hawai‘i Foodbank plans to hold additional pop-up distribution locations every day next week, along with its ongoing distributions. Updated details on these new locations will be posted at [hawaiifoodbank.org/shutdown/](https://hawaiifoodbank.org/shutdown/) as they are confirmed.
The $2 million in state funding for island food banks is just one part of Hawai‘i’s broader response to the temporary loss of SNAP benefits during the federal shutdown. Meanwhile, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) reported a spike of 381 new unemployment claims filed in the first week after the shutdown began on October 1.
DLIR specifically asked these claimants if they were directly affected by the shutdown, indicating that some may be civilian contractors or state employees dependent on federal contracts or programs currently impacted. However, DLIR told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that most of the new claims come from federal employees who have already missed their initial paychecks.
Unemployment claims related to the shutdown came from every island except Lanai, including nine claims from Molokai, according to DLIR. The department also noted it was restricted from releasing additional unemployment data until the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics resumes publishing national numbers.
Beyond food assistance and unemployment support, Hawai‘i is addressing other challenges linked to the shutdown and related federal policy changes. For example, the state Health Department reported that 23,000 residents enrolled in the Affordable Care Act marketplace face an average 12% premium increase in 2026. Without the renewal of enhanced federal premium tax credits, many could see their net monthly costs roughly double.
Republican proposals to impose changes on Medicare and Medicaid recipients also loom. In Hawai‘i, approximately 300,000 residents are enrolled in Medicare, with about 54% in Medicare Advantage plans and 46% in traditional fee-for-service Medicare. Additionally, roughly 420,000 residents participate in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Governor Josh Green announced on Thursday that the state will provide $250 per person by November 14 to each of Hawaii’s 161,400 residents whose SNAP benefits were expected to be suspended. For example, a family of three will receive $750 loaded onto their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards.
Earlier this week, Governor Green also shared that his administration will allocate $100 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding to provide up to four months of housing and utility assistance for families with children impacted by the shutdown and related economic hardships.
These combined efforts reflect Hawai‘i’s commitment to supporting its residents through the ongoing federal government shutdown and associated challenges faced by thousands of families across the state.
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2025/11/01/hawaii-news/more-than-400-hawaii-families-line-up-at-foodbank-pop-up/