SNAP is back, but the crisis isn’t over

Nourish Up says there's still 'a tsunami of food insecurity' in Mecklenburg County; pantry visits are up nearly 40%

The following article appeared in the Nov. 14, 2025, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.

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As SNAP benefits paused in November, many Mecklenburg families were left in crisis mode; government shutdown has ended, but ‘we’re far from out of the woods’

Keona (pictured) is one of 140,000 Mecklenburg County residents who lost their SNAP benefits earlier this month. Keona is stocking up on shelf-stable items at Nourish Up’s pantry, sponsored by Food Lion Feeds, to get her family of four through the end of the month. (Photo: Lindsey Banks/The Charlotte Ledger)

by Lindsey Banks

When Keona lost her child care job this month, the math stopped working. The single mother of three, ages 12, 8 and 4, was already stretching a small federal food-assistance benefit of $100 a month while balancing other living expenses. Then, during the recent government shutdown, those funds stopped coming altogether.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, you know?” she said. “Like, that’s crazy that you have to pick and choose, whether a roof or food.”

On Wednesday, desperate for help, Keona turned to Nourish Up, Charlotte’s largest food pantry, for the first time since 2021. She got an appointment that same day at the main pantry on Carrier Drive in west Charlotte, and filled bags with rice, pasta and canned vegetables — “putting it on the shelf” to make a week’s worth of groceries last until the end of the month. She also grabbed some fresh produce and a pack of off-brand Twizzlers to share with her kids.