October 31, 2025; Sabrina Wilson
Amid concerns over a potential suspension of SNAP benefits, Goodwill Industries of Southeast Louisiana is stepping up to support local food banks.
At the Tulane Avenue Goodwill store, merchandise is abundant, but the organization is focusing on helping those who rely on food assistance programs.
“Recognizing that there’s strain and recognizing a lot of our participants that come through our program and a lot of our customers at Goodwill depend on Second Harvest and other food banks, we’ve decided for this month, for the month of November, for the coming month, that all of our Keep the Change or Register Roundup will go to Second Harvest Food Bank,” said Scottie LeBlanc, vice president of Mission Services for Goodwill.
Cashiers will ask customers if they want to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, with proceeds going to the food bank. “So as you’re checking out, the cashier will ask you if you’d like to round up, and you simply say yes, and it just rounds up to the nearest even dollar. If someone elects to give more, they can, but what we typically focus on is just that rounding up piece,” LeBlanc said. Customers can also participate using credit cards.
“Food isn’t one of those things that we do, so we look at our partners like Second Harvest and how can we help them to do what they do,” LeBlanc said.
If the government shutdown is not resolved by Oct. 31, SNAP benefits will stop starting Nov. 1. To mitigate the impact, the Louisiana Legislature approved a measure allowing the state Department of Health to use up to $150 million to continue benefits.
Food banks, already under strain, are preparing for the disruption. “We are needing to subsidize, for lack of a better way to put it, all of the cuts that started happening earlier in this year with the USDA slowdowns. And we are digging deep into our reserves, between $600,000 a month to subsidize food,” said Jon J. Toups, president of Second Harvest.
Grocery stores could also be affected. Greg Ferrara, president and CEO of the National Grocers Association, warned earlier this week:
“In less than three days, funding for access to healthy, nutritious food is at risk of running out for the nearly 48 million combined Americans who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). A disruption in SNAP and WIC funding would have serious consequences for local grocers, their employees, and the food supply chain. Independent grocers are often the only source of fresh produce, dairy, and other nutritious essentials for millions of families, veterans, and seniors who rely on federal nutrition assistance to make ends meet. With SNAP fueling over 389,000 American jobs and generating $1.54 in economic activity for every dollar invested in the program, grocers’ staffing and inventory are planned around benefit cycles, so a lapse in funding could lead to reduced employee hours, perishable food losses, and declining sales. Furthermore, when benefits are restored, the resulting surge in demand could strain supply chains nationwide. As local grocers at the heart of the vibrant communities they serve, we believe that no American should ever go hungry. To uphold this core value, the National Grocers Association urges Congress and our leaders in Washington to move forward to immediately open the government and fund these vital food assistance programs, so that our communities are supported and Americans can access the food they need to feed themselves and their families.”