As the federal government shutdown continues into its third week, thousands of families in the Fredericksburg and Northern Virginia regions are facing growing uncertainty about essential services like food and utilities. Local agencies are stepping up to warn residents and offer assistance.

The Fredericksburg and Stafford County Departments of Social Services have issued urgent public notices about potential disruptions to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. While October payments have already been disbursed, both agencies say November benefits may be delayed—or not issued at all—without Congressional action to fund the USDA. In Stafford, more than 12,000 residents across 5,000 households rely on SNAP. Officials are urging families to conserve existing benefits and use tools like Virginia Fresh Match and FredFoodVA to access local food support.