Pueblo County outlines $195,874 emergency plan as SNAP benefits pause leaves thousands at risk

Pueblo County officials told the City Council on Oct. 27 they found $195,874 in emergency funds to help residents after a federal pause in SNAP benefit issuance left thousands at risk of running out of food.

Tammy Torres, director of the Pueblo County Department of Human Services, said the county learned this week "the issuance of SNAP would not be occurring in the month of November," and that the pause affects roughly 41,241 county residents enrolled in SNAP — about one in four people in Pueblo. Torres said state data show about 4,000 households will go into November with a zero balance on their EBT cards and many more will have only small remaining balances.

The county's short-term proposal would direct $60,000 to Catholic Charities to distribute $150 gift cards (Torres estimated that allocation could help about 400 households), $60,000 to a local food-purchase effort to buy on‑shelf items from small, locally owned grocers and stock community pantries, $30,000 for prepared hot meals, and $45,874 held in reserve for "ripple effects" such as increases in delinquent rent or utility bills.

"There is gonna be a significant gap in our community," Torres said, noting the county issues about $8,000,000 in SNAP benefits each month and the locally identified funds are not large enough to replace that total. She described a two‑week window the county is trying to cover while larger regional distributions and state allocations are organized.

Councilors pressed the department on logistics and reach. Councilor Martinez said she had been working with the city attorney to draft an ordinance that would move $50,000 from the ARPA interest account to Cooperative Care to speed local purchasing; she scheduled first reading for Nov. 10 and final reading for Nov. 24. Torres said United Way would lead community outreach and communications, while department staff would continue processing SNAP paperwork so benefits can be restored quickly once federal funding resumes.

Torres also warned that even if federal funding resumes in December, there may be vendor and distribution delays that could slow retroactive payments and the reloading of EBT cards. County officials said they are coordinating with Care and Share and other partners but expected a roughly 2–3 week lag before larger food deliveries arrive from regional distributors.

A councilor suggested the city consider using surplus funds to make a larger short‑term contribution; councilors discussed the possibility of temporary reimbursements if federal payments are later restored. No formal city appropriation was voted in the meeting.

The county asked residents who need help to watch partner communications and apply through announced processes; Catholic Charities and local pantries were already processing applications, Torres said.