As SNAP aid stalls, Bluffton neighbors shoulder the need
A mother steers her cart down the aisle, with the help of her young son who can barely reach the handle. An woman wraps her coat tightly as she opens the fridge to grab eggs and milk. A man, still dressed in an apron from his shift at a nearby grocery store, ponders what he should bring back home.
They push carts, compare labels and chat about what to take home and what to leave behind. The difference? No one here swipes a card or hands over cash in exchange for a basket full of goods.
The Bluffton Self Help market is one of several area food shelves providing free food to community members who need it. Employees and volunteers among them are bracing for a new reality with the ongoing government shutdown.
More and more people will stand in line waiting for local food assistance this month without their typical monthly federal SNAP benefits, they say. These benefits have been disrupted significantly by the ongoing impasses in Washington, as the regular funding for the program has lapsed. The situation is changing almost daily.
The Trump administration initially announced that benefits would stop during the ongoing government shutdown, but on Friday, federal judges ruled that the government must continue at least partially funding SNAP, using emergency contingency funds. The funds will only cover a portion of the November benefits — roughly 50 percent of the usual amount.
In a typical month, South Carolina receives more than $100 million to pay for SNAP benefits.
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was moving ahead with providing these partial SNAP payments for November. The agency issued guidance to states regarding the reduced payment for this month; a single person will get about $149.
Even before the first of the month, when benefits were expected to cease, nonprofit leaders from every corner of Beaufort County saw the writing on the wall.
For months, Deep Well, a Hilton Head-based nonprofit, has seen the number of people seeking food assistance increase from around 800 per month to well north of 1,000. HELP of Beaufort saw a 22% increase in the number of people seeking food assistance last month.
The Bluffton Self Help farmer’s market, stocked with more than 4,000 pounds of free produce, was emptied in just 30 minutes. Usually, it stays stocked for several hours. The new food demands have pushed the nonprofit to outspend its budget by 36%.
Last week, 463 families shopped at the market, compared with the usual monthly average of about 650. To meet growing demand, Bluffton Self Help recently added extra shopping times throughout the week, CEO Courtney Hampson said.
Before the doors opened to a line that wrapped around the building Oct. 29, Hampson met with volunteers, a handful of the 350 people who help the organization each year.
Eight hours into her workday, weeks into this “new normal,” she says she’s running on “caffeine and passion.”
Her day started at 7 a.m., when she sent a text message to state representative, Bill Herbkersman, asking him for help.
The state’s response does not yet reflect the immediacy of this crisis, Hampson said. Last week, Gov. Henry McMaster activated the Central Carolina Community Foundation’s One SC Fund, which collects private donations during emergencies to help supplement what the government does not cover.
So far, the fund has $233,000, according to the South Carolina Daily Gazette.
By 11 a.m., Herbkersman was on-site with a check to foot the market’s weekly $5,000 bill. The people shopping for free groceries were his neighbors, he said. Hampson hopes this kindness with inspire others to step up.
Peggy Weaver, a four-year volunteer with the Bluffton nonprofit, sits at a desk overlooking the bustling parking lot. She watches neighbors arrive and return to their cars with a new load of groceries. Many faces are familiar, returning week after week —“they’re like family,” she says.
But new faces are appearing each day, a reminder of the growing need.
Inside, the phone rings and rings. Calls come from community members asking how they can help. Many ask how they can apply for emergency financial assistance or access the market.
Weaver answers the questions as they come on the other end of the line, but with SNAP benefits disrupted, there aren’t always answers to give.
“It breaks my heart,” she says. “I wish I could fix it for them. It’s hard to answer questions when you don’t know the answer.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2025 at 8:43 AM.
