City staff briefed council on Oct. 28 about the federal government shutdown'related disruption to SNAP and other benefit programs and presented local mitigation options should state and federal arrangements create gaps for Newport News residents.

Alan Hunter introduced the briefing and called on Kimberly Thomas to explain Virginia's emergency plan. Thomas said Gov. Glenn Youngkin's emergency declaration established a $150,000,000 Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance Program to close gaps for the roughly 850,000 Virginia households that receive SNAP benefits. She stressed that the state fund is general-fund money (not federal USDA funding) and, as presented, the fund is only guaranteed through November 2025; the state has not provided guidance beyond that date.

Under the state plan described by Thomas, SNAP recipients will receive 25% of their usual monthly allotment weekly to preserve cadence in case federal payments resume partway through the month. The state intends to disburse those allotments on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule tied to recipients' usual distribution groups (the "first," "fourth" and "seventh" groups). Thomas said the first payment is currently scheduled for Monday, Nov. 3, but vendor integration risks could delay the initial disbursement until Nov. 10; there will be no double payments to make up a missed week.

Thomas provided local numbers: about 34,000 SNAP participants (approximately 16,000 households) in Newport News. Staff said the city draws about $5.7 million per month in SNAP-related operations funds; a delayed first-week payment would therefore affect the initial weekly allocation for a sizable share of local recipients.

Staff proposed several local mitigation measures and asked council for direction to return with concrete proposals:
- Food access: staff proposed a $150,000 commitment to support Peninsula Food Bank operations and distribution, and continued partnerships with Thrive and United Way to provide rapid local access to food and services. Staff emphasized partnering with organizations that have existing distribution rails to move food quickly.
- Furlough relief: staff described a proposed short-term, no-interest loan program for furloughed federal employees, potentially capped at about $2,000 per household, and suggested the city could use remaining ARPA funds to seed such relief.
- Emergency relief fund: staff described the possibility of a more permanent emergency-relief fund (again potentially using ARPA) that could be stood up for future short-term crises and to provide direct assistance for bills or basic needs.
- Employee support: staff said they would provide an internal hotline and targeted communications to ensure city employees receive information and assistance.

Councilmembers expressed strong support for prioritizing direct food-access measures and local partners with straightforward intake procedures. Several members preferred quick, locally administered distribution points (for example, Thrive) over larger regional organizations because of concerns about access barriers and administrative delays. Councilmembers asked staff to return with specific, executable proposals; three organizations were identified as primary partners in discussions: Peninsula Food Bank, Thrive and United Way.

Council reached informal direction to prioritize food security measures and authorized staff to develop and return with the detailed proposals and implementation plans; council did not take a formal funding vote on Oct. 28.