By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Virginia is getting ready to roll out a state-funded food assistance plan at the start of November to make sure families continue receiving help while the federal government shutdown drags on.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday that the new Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance initiative, or VENA, will use commonwealth dollars to temporarily replace federal SNAP benefits. The move follows his recent state of emergency declaration, which allows the commonwealth to use its own funds to keep food aid going while Congress remains gridlocked on a funding deal.
The program kicks off in early November and will send weekly payments through existing EBT cards instead of monthly deposits. If a household normally gets $200 a month, they’ll see $50 added each week until federal money starts flowing again.
Youngkin said the plan will be paid for through the commonwealth’s budget surplus, which administration officials credit to “strong fiscal management.” He also authorized $1 million in state funds for Virginia food banks to help offset shortages and make sure families can find food locally if needed.
“The Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance effort will be very similar to SNAP, but it’s a complex, challenging solution,” Youngkin said in a statement. “We must ensure our most vulnerable Virginians are not without basic nutrition.”
The governor added that both of Virginia’s U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, could “end this shutdown right now” by voting to reopen the government.
Health and Human Resources Secretary Janet Kelly thanked the governor for ensuring that “the most needy Virginians can continue to obtain life-giving nutrition as Thanksgiving month approaches,” adding that the effort is possible due to “strong fiscal management and disciplined decision-making.”
The Department of Social Services will run the program, issuing benefits weekly based on the first letter of each household’s last name. The agency said the weekly payments will help families plan short-term while waiting for the federal system to restart.
About 850,000 Virginians rely on SNAP benefits, which are funded entirely by the federal government. Without the new program, those benefits were expected to run out starting Nov. 1.
VENA will stay in place until federal SNAP funds resume. For now, Virginia is using its own money to keep food aid flowing and food banks supplied.