Image courtesy of USDA
SNAP program
Due to the federal government shutdown, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has outlined the parameters of the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) initiative, a Commonwealth-supported food assistance effort established by Executive Order 54 under the State of Emergency declared by the Governor.
In addition, the Governor announced an additional $1 million of state funds would be provided to Virginia food banks in order to offset any temporary disruption as VENA launches at the beginning of November.
In Virginia alone, more than 800,000 are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits if the USDA does not utilize available funding to distribute resources to states for the program.
While Youngkin, a Republican, put the blame on Democrats in Congress, Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and 44 Senate colleagues sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to release the billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue in November.
Meanwhile, Youngkin announced the roll-out Tuesday of the weekly program for Virginians.
“The Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance effort will be very similar to SNAP– but it is a complex, challenging solution," Youngkin said. "However, we must ensure our most vulnerable Virginians are not without basic nutrition.”
Virginia has recently taken several significant measures to address SNAP integrity. These measures will reduce error rates, prevent misuse of the program, and address fraud, to ensure that only those who are truly eligible receive benefits. These reforms also require VENA recipients to meet the same eligibility standards that apply to SNAP recipients. For more information about VENA, visit the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) website at: https://dss.virginia.gov/snapfacts/ where updates and detailed guidance on VENA will be posted.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How will the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) effort work?
Current SNAP recipients (as of 10/29/2025) will receive a weekly comparable state-supported emergency food assistance payment based upon existing eligibility for the SNAP program. VENA benefits will be issued via the existing electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card that SNAP recipients currently hold.
How often will benefits be issued?
VENA benefits will be issued weekly, not monthly, in hopes the federal shutdown will end soon. For example: If a household normally receives $200 for a monthly benefit, a $50 benefit will be issued on a weekly basis. Recipients and households should adjust to this new schedule and plan accordingly.
What days of the month will benefits be issued?
Under normal issuance, SNAP households receive their monthly SNAP benefits at one time on the 1st, 4th or 7th day of the month based upon the first letter of their last name. VENA will be issued on a weekly basis on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday (according to the existing staggered issuance schedule).
- For example, if:
- A household that normally receives SNAP benefits on the 1st of the month, will now receive VENA benefits on Monday of each week.
- A household that normally receives SNAP benefits on the 4th of the month will now receive VENA benefits weekly on Wednesday of each week.
- A household that normally receives SNAP benefits on the 7th of the month; will now receive VENA benefits weekly on Friday of each week.
Where are the funds coming from?
The State of Emergency allows the Governor to expend emergency funds under sum sufficient authority to protect the health, welfare, and safety of Virginians. "Due to Virginia's prudent fiscal management we have available budget surplus to reduce disruptions in food access and ensure that Virginia’s families in need remain supported during the federal shutdown," the Governor's office noted.
How is this emergency initiative different than the existing SNAP program?
SNAP benefits are funded entirely by the federal government. VENA is a state-run emergency relief effort. To recipients and retailers, this should operate similarly to how SNAP beneficiary households receive their monthly benefit. However, the backend coordination is complex and challenging to set up.
What about funds that localities typically spend on the administration of the SNAP program?
The administrative costs of VENA will be paid entirely by the Commonwealth, separate from SNAP.
The Commonwealth and VDSS are actively collaborating with localities and local departments of social services (LDSS) on managing the administrative costs associated with SNAP during the federal shutdown.
How long will VENA last?
The Governor has publicly stated the effort should continue at least through November. This state-supported effort, distinct from SNAP, uses Virginia’s budget surplus to prevent disruptions in food access and ensures Virginia’s families in need remain supported during the federal shutdown. However, this is a stopgap solution: once federal funds for SNAP are authorized and released, VENA assistance effort will end, and SNAP benefits will be fully restored.
