Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava made a public appeal for donations Wednesday as nearly a quarter of Miami-Dade County households are set to lose SNAP benefits amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
She also pointedly asked the city’s congressional delegation to help break gridlock and get the food stamps flowing again.
As the federal government shutdown approaches the one-month mark, those who rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits to put food on the table are set to lose that safety net beginning Saturday.
In Miami-Dade County, more than 522,890 individuals are set to lose this benefit, with nearly one in every four households affected — twice the national average.
Affluent Key Biscayne has about 50 households on the program. But Liberty City has about 46% of its population getting the benefits, according to the Statistical Atlas web site, which draws upon U.S. Census Data.
Seniors and children are the most affected.
In Miami-Dade, 60% of households receiving SNAP benefits have at least one person 60 years old or older living in the home.
“Our shared goal is to ensure that no Miami-Dade family goes hungry, not now and not ever, but to do that in this difficult time is going to take all of us, and this is really an all hands on deck moment, and we are asking for your help to all our residents who are able,” Cava said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
As the federal shutdown continues, I am urging Congress to take swift, bipartisan action to protect Miami-Dade families, seniors, and workers who rely on healthcare, food assistance, and other vital federal programs. My letter here: pic.twitter.com/gtWqdP8qwh
— Daniella Levine Cava (@MayorDaniella) October 28, 2025
Local food banks already struggling
The mayor asked all residents who can help, to do so by making a donation.
Local food banks have already been struggling in Miami-Dade and across the state and nation.
“Things are already dire. You’ve got a government shutdown, you’ve got federal workers who don’t have access to food. And so we as food banks are trying to meet that need already, and we’re struggling,” Farm Share CEO Steve Shelley said.
Since July, the food supply at Farm Share, the state’s largest independent food bank, has gone down 28 percent as the demand for food continues to go up as does inflation along with the rising costs of rent and groceries continue.
Already there are 42 food distribution events scheduled for November, including one scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Miami-Dade College North Campus.
Unlike previous federal government shutdowns, food banks do not have access to other government programs to ensure they have the resources needed.
Cash donations encouraged
Cava and Shelley both stressed the preference for cash over food donations, which allows food banks to buy food in larger quantities at discounted prices.
“We have great relationships with farmers and suppliers grocery store chains, they’re able to provide us those discounted rates and make that dollar go a lot farther than if you were to go out and try to buy that can of food alone,” Shelley said.
On Tuesday, Cava sent a letter to the Florida Congressional Delegation asking them to set aside partisan politics and use federal resources to fund SNAP and extend federal healthcare subsidies.
“Nearly a quarter — 24% — of Miami-Dade households rely on SNAP benefits. Failure to deplore these available resources would be devastating for Miami-Dade families and seniors which represent the highest share of Elderly SNAP beneficiaries in the country,” the county mayor wrote.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who is running to be the City of Miami mayor, also spoke of the division in Washington as she assured residents that Miami-Dade was a united front during this period of crisis.
“There’s not a single one of us here who doesn’t know someone who benefits from food assistance. Most of the people that receive SNAP work. They’re hard working people. They get up every day they go to their jobs, and these jobs often don’t pay enough for them to provide everything their family needs,” she said.
Congress and the shutdown
As part of her public plea to Miami-Dade residents on Wednesday, Levine Cava also called on residents to call their congressional representative.
“Ensuring the continuity of these programs is not only a moral imperative — it is essential to maintaining economic stability, community resilience and public safety in South Florida and beyond,” Levine Cava also wrote in her letter.
Some local supermarkets will lose as much as 50% of their income if SNAP benefits are lost, while the average statewide business that grocers receive because of SNAP benefits is 30% to 40%, according to National Supermarket Association Florida chapter President Francis Rodriguez.
On Tuesday night, the association has been in talks with supermarkets letting management know that this is really happening.
“We get hit first. We are the front line. We’re the front line. We see it right away,” Rodriguez said.
He too called on congressional leaders to set aside politics, adding that without a quick resolution, they expect crime to begin to rise in local communities and loss of jobs at supermarkets. “It’s a trickle-down effect.”
Anyone wishing to help or needing help in Miami-Dade County can visit Miami.Dade.gov/cares for more information.
This story was originally published in the Key Biscayne Independent, a WLRN News partner.
