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Dear Community,
At this time the USDA is stating there will be no SNAP benefits issued November 1st. This is significant and alarming as there are nearly 3 million people in New York State who receive SNAP assistance and rely on monthly SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families. Historically, food pantries become busier at the end of each month after SNAP benefits have been spent. In recent years, the increased cost of groceries has meant that SNAP benefits do not go as far as they previously did, which has caused more frequent visits and longer lines at food pantries. When comparing grocery prices in New York State between October 2019 to October 2025, there has been a 38.6% increase on average.
Across the state, food pantries have already been doing more with fewer resources, struggling to keep pace with community need. SNAP is our nation's greatest anti-hunger program - but the value of SNAP benefits cannot be made up by charity alone. It is our moral responsibility to do the best we can to provide food during this unprecedented lapse in SNAP benefits. Unfortunately, the federal government has stated that it will not reimburse state governments for fronting the SNAP funding that is being withheld. At this point, even if funding is released, there will likely be a delay for people receiving SNAP, which still results in less food on the table and longer lines at pantries.
"We are at maximum capacity right now and with a surge of additional families we will have difficulty meeting that demand with our already stretched budget," said Lorraine Houk, Pantry Coordinator of the FOCUS Churches Food Pantry in Albany.
The Food Pantries for the Capital District facilitates a coalition of 75 food pantries in the Capital Region that provides over 5.1 million meals to over 104,000 people each year. We also manage the Alliance for a Hunger Free New York, a statewide coalition of community-based food providers, and the New York State Food as Medicine Coalition. As we work to develop a plan of action, we encourage you to join us.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
WHERE TO LEARN MORE:
Working together, we can do more than any one of us alone. We will continue to update you as we learn more, and appreciate your support as we get through this together.
Yours in service,
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