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Food banks warn SNAP and TFAP changes will increase demand among veterans and military families
Summary
Food Depot and Roadrunner Food Bank told the committee federal cuts to the Emergency Food Assistance Program and recent SNAP eligibility changes are driving demand; food banks say state growth funding kept them afloat but cannot fully replace SNAP's stimulus effect.
Representatives from the Food Depot and Roadrunner Food Bank briefed the Military & Veterans Affairs Advisory Council on Nov. 1 about how federal program changes and SNAP rule updates are affecting military families and veterans.
Joe Dixon (Food Depot) and Katie Anderson (Roadrunner Food Bank) described a statewide hunger-relief network that includes more than 500 distribution sites and five food banks. "We provide over 45,000,000 meals annually," a presenter said, and added that the network depends mainly on private donations and targeted state growth funds awarded during the 2025 legislative session.
The presenters told lawmakers that a shift in the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program (TFAP) eliminated a commodity arm formerly supplied by the Commodity Credit Corporation and forced food banks to replace roughly $1,000,000 of donor food purchases with purchased inventory for the Food Depot. "We lost as much as you had given us within a week," a presenter said, referring to the timing of federal reductions and the state's growth funding.
Roadrunner outlined veteran-specific outreach: on-base pantries established at Holloman Air Force Base, food-pantries inside the New Mexico VA Health Care System and school-based pantries serving military families. The presenters estimated about 133,000 veterans live in New Mexico and roughly 15,000 receive SNAP (about 11%). They warned that changes in SNAP work requirements could reduce enrollment or shift demand to the charitable system, creating capacity and logistical challenges.
Committee members asked technical questions about SNAP eligibility thresholds, error rates and how earned allowances such as military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and tax-free VA disability are treated; presenters said they would follow up with precise answers. A committee member asked whether cash or donated food is preferable; the food-bank response was explicit: "Cash is king," because purchases allow bulk, cost-effective procurement and faster processing.
Lawmakers suggested volunteer recruitment could help absorb increased demand if work requirements expand; presenters agreed volunteer capacity is a constraint and noted many partner pantries operate with limited volunteers. The committee also discussed possible legislative remedies and the need for federal funding to backfill federal TFAP cuts.
Next steps: food banks offered to provide county-specific distribution lists and committed to follow up on technical SNAP questions raised by legislators.
