Staten Island, NYC, NJ SNAP Beneficiaries: Help For Local Families During Interruption In Benefits – 39% NY, 50% NJ Recipients Are Kids

Editor’s note: Our article on the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program provides the exact hours for the food pantry and soup kitchen services provided by the Salvation Army’s two Staten Island locations.  For residents in need of food assistance (or who have had to make the choice between groceries or clothing and gifts for the holoidays), visit the local corps for your area to get help.  We also spotlighted the Central Family Life Center, an organization attempting to fill the gap when the government shutdown and absence or reduction in public assistance services starts to take effect.  

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES PUBLIC-PRIVATE INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT NYC’S SNAP RECIPIENTS AS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREATENS TO CUT OFF BENEFITS FOR 1.8 MILLION NEW YORKERS 

New York Community Trust, Partnership for New York City, and United Way of New York Are Connecting with Businesses and Philanthropists to Help Hungry
New Yorkers and Food Distribution Centers Respond to Emergency

SNAP Costs $420 Million a Month to Support 1.8 Million New Yorkers,  Including 540,000 Children, 540,000 Older Adults, and Other Vulnerable Populations

Over Course of Adams Administration, City Has Doubled Funding for Community Food Connection Program with More Than 47 Million Pounds of Food Distributed in FY 2025    

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that a slate of public-private initiatives will help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients continue receiving a portion of their food benefits as the federal government shutdown enters into its second month and has halts SNAP benefits to some of the city’s most vulnerable New Yorkers. Effective today, nearly 1.8 million New Yorkers who rely on SNAP to put food on the table are no longer receiving the federally funded benefits to which they are entitled, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has not issued any contingency funds to sustain this critical lifeline during the protracted shutdown. These initiatives build on the city’s $15 million additional investment announced last month and the more than $820 million budgeted in this fiscal year for food services programs. Last week, two judges ordered the federal government to use emergency funds to cover food stamp benefits for Americans in November. Until the federal government complies, the Adams administration is working with partners across the city to support New Yorkers and ensure they receive the aid they need. 

“When New Yorkers support one another in times of need, we become a better city. That’s why today, along with the New York Community Trust, the United Way, and the Partnership for New York City, we’re launching a slate of public-private initiatives to support SNAP recipients in our city who rely on these much-needed benefits to put food on their tables,” said Mayor Adams. “As a child, members of my church would drop off food for my siblings and me when times were hard; this type of generosity is what makes our city great. While we sadly can never provide as much support as our federal partners, our social services agencies are ready to help New Yorkers in need, and we’re calling on business leaders, philanthropic partners, faith leaders, and community members to join us in this effort.”

“Local government and philanthropy cannot come close to replacing federally funded entitlement programs, but we can certainly help support the organizations that are collecting and distributing food during this emergency,” said Kathryn Wylde, president & CEO, Partnership for New York City. “We will encourage member companies and foundations to support the efforts of the mayor and governor to meet this crisis and to invest in the funds that New York Community Trust has designated.”

“New York Community Trust is proud to stand with our partners and the City to ensure that no New Yorker goes hungry during this crisis,” said Amy Freitag, president and CEO, New York Community Trust. “Local nonprofit organizations on the frontlines of food insecurity are best positioned to swiftly mobilize financial resources to support those in need. This is what community looks like — neighbors helping neighbors.”

In a demonstration of their commitment to helping city government address the challenges of food insecurity during the federal government shutdown, private donors and companies are contributing to the launch of these initiatives under the auspices of the New York Community Trust, including:

The New York Community Trust’s Community Needs Fund

The Community Needs Fund addresses the urgent needs of neighbors throughout New York City, Long Island, and Westchester. When an individual makes a one-time or recurring gift to the fund, every dollar is directed by an expert grantmaking team to trusted nonprofits across the region.    

City Harvest

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City Harvest rescues food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it to New Yorkers in need in response to the persistently high need for food assistance in New York City.

Food Bank for NYC

The Food Bank for NYC delivers food and resources across all five boroughs in collaboration with 800 community partners. 

Lemontree

For those in need of groceries or meals, Lemontree helps locate food pantries in their neighborhood. 

The Roundtable: Allies for Food Access

The Roundtable: Allies for Food Access is a network of nine of the largest food pantries and soup kitchens in New York City. It reduces costs through strategic purchasing, advocates for frontline providers, and provides support to smaller pantry partners. 

United Way of New York City’s Emergency Assistance & Community Needs Fund

The United Way of New York City’s Emergency Assistance & Community Needs Fund supports critical services that empower community-based organizations with resources while keeping the city afloat.  

Other donors are encouraged to join this effort to support nonprofits on the front lines of this crisis and help New Yorkers affected by the shutdown. A contribution will not affect any business dealings with the city or provide special access to city officials.

The pause in SNAP funding is devastating to the city’s overall safety net and also threatens New York’s local economy. The USDA estimates that every dollar of SNAP spending generates $1.54 back into the community, meaning that $1 billion in SNAP dollars spent increases the gross domestic product of the United States by $1.54 billion. 

The city is deploying a comprehensive response to ensure at-risk New Yorkers have access to food through a variety of alternative programs and services, managing a comprehensive resource list for impacted SNAP recipients, and conducting outreach efforts in close collaboration with the city’s robust network of community-based organizations and food providers.  

Mayor Adams Announces Emergency Response to Prepare for Pause in Snap Funding for 1.8 Million New Yorkers During Federal Government Shutdown

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced $15 million in emergency funding for food assistance coupled with an all-hands-on-deck response to prepare for the unprecedented food emergency created by the ongoing federal government shutdown. As of November 1, nearly 1.8 million New York City residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table will not receive the federally-funded benefits to which they are entitled. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has not issued any contingency funds to provide for this critical lifeline during the protracted shutdown.

As of today, $420 million in federal funding provides monthly SNAP benefits to New Yorkers in need, including 540,000 children and more than 540,000 older adults. The New York City Department of Social Services (DSS), the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy (MOFP), and all social services agencies are working in close collaboration to connect impacted New Yorkers to critical resources and shore up the existing safety net to provide for anticipated increases in need as the city uses every tool at its disposal to ensure that no New Yorker goes hungry during this crisis. The city stands ready to support New Yorkers while working with a coalition of key stakeholders — including the philanthropic community, the non-profit sector, faith leaders, and governmental partners — to advocate for urgent federal action. Affected New Yorkers should visit the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy website to learn more.

“As a working-class mayor who grew up in a family living on the edge of homelessness and that relied on government assistance, I will always fight for our most vulnerable residents,” said Mayor Adams. “The federal government shutdown is threatening to cut access to food for 1.8 million New Yorkers who rely on SNAP to feed their families. It’s time to put political differences aside and end this shutdown. In the meantime, New York City already allocates approximately $800 million for food services across our different agencies, and we are proud to step up with an additional $15 million in emergency support for our food pantries and providers who are on-the-ground making sure families in need are fed during this time. We are activating all of our social services agencies to ensure they are prepared to contribute where they can, and we urge our philanthropic partners, faith leaders, and community members to contribute even more.”

“In the absence of federal action, our city is stepping up to ensure continued support for the nearly one in five New Yorkers who rely on SNAP benefits,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Suzanne Miles-Gustave. “This is a moment for local, state, philanthropic, corporate, and faith communities to unite in the face of federal inaction and provide the supports individuals and families need to survive and thrive. New York City will always lead in times like these, and we will continue to address the impacts of the federal shutdown as they arise.”

“As it stands, nearly 1.8 million New Yorkers will not receive their SNAP benefits in November because the federal government would rather use the threat of widespread hunger to advance their callous political program than actually support hungry Americans,” said DSS Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “We will not stand by as the federal government abdicates its most basic responsibilities and endangers our neighbors. We will use every tool available to mitigate the impacts of this needlessly cruel decision, which includes the provision of $15 million in new emergency funding to immediately support our robust network of food pantries and soup kitchens. But these efforts cannot fill the massive void that a lapse in SNAP benefits would create. The federal government must take immediate action to fund SNAP so the 42 million Americans who rely on these benefits can continue to put food on their tables.”

“As the federal government threatens to deny nearly 1.8 million New Yorkers their SNAP benefits and create a hunger crisis so close to Thanksgiving, we are collectively working around the clock to ensure that families have the resources they need to get through this difficult time,” said New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) Administrator Scott French. “This continuous support includes communicating to all SNAP recipients the presence of expanded CFC-funded food pantries and community kitchens in their neighborhoods and reaching out to Medicaid members to connect them to life-sustaining food services. With no federal assistance on the horizon, we are exploring every option available to provide relief to New Yorkers in need.”

“In New York City, half of working-aged households are struggling to make ends meet,” said Acting Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. “Food insecurity directly impacts a person’s ability to live a healthy life, and no one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. It is unconscionable that the federal government is allowing a life-saving program like SNAP to lapse, leaving millions without access to affordable, healthy food. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene stands with New Yorkers to help get them the support they need in this deeply challenging time.”

“Access to nutritious food is essential to your health,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “Diagnoses like type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure require nutritious foods without too much sugar or salt to keep our patients out of the hospital. We are deeply grateful to Mayor Adams and our colleagues across city government for their commitment to fresh, healthy food for New Yorkers.”

“The federal government is deliberately creating a crisis of fear and hunger, continuing their cruel denial of vital resources that keep people nourished, and local businesses and farms alive,” said MOFP Executive Director Kate MacKenzie. ”While this $15 million will provide much needed food resources to the essential food pantry network and the millions of meals they will provide, that network is already serving persistently high numbers of people in need throughout the city. SNAP is one of the most effective tools to fight hunger. The federal government must act immediately to continue funding these benefits.”

“This administration’s commitment to older adults leaves an incredible legacy supporting older New Yorkers, and today’s announcement only adds to it,” said NYC Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez. “We have addressed financial insecurity while implementing policies and procedures to help them age in place. But since the news that SNAP will be paused, older adults have been terrified of what it may mean for them and their families. Over $93 million in monthly SNAP benefits will be lost by approximately 400,000 New York City older adults who currently receive them, and this announcement relieves that stress. I encourage older New Yorkers to call Aging Connect at 212-AGING-NYC for referrals and more information, or visit an older adult center to receive a meal and support signing up for other programs you may qualify for.”

On top of the $15 million announced today to strengthen the safety net for food-insecure New Yorkers, the city has allocated more than $820 million in this fiscal year for food services programs. This includes:

• $627 million for New York Public Schools food programming.
• $70.6 million for NYC Aging home delivery meal program for older adults.
• $58.6 million for DSS Community Food Connection (CFC).
• $41.8 million for NYC Aging older adult center congregate meals.
• $10 million for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Groceries to Go program.
• $8.5 million for food pantry funding administered by the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD).
• $4 million for Cornerstone meals for youth in New York City Housing Authority sites administered by DYCD.

The pause in SNAP funding is devastating to the overall safety net and also threatens local economies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that every dollar of SNAP spending generates $1.54, which means that $1 billion in SNAP dollars spent increases the gross domestic product of the United States by $1.54 billion.

The city is deploying a comprehensive response to ensure at-risk New Yorkers have access to food through a variety of alternative programs and services, managing a comprehensive resource list for impacted SNAP recipients, and conducting outreach efforts in close collaboration with the city’s robust network of community-based organizations and food providers.

The city’s multi-pronged response includes:

Funding the Community Food Connection Program

DSS’s CFC program provides funding to over 700 community-based food organizations that work to ensure that no New Yorker goes hungry. The city is adding $15 million as an emergency, one-time funding supplement to the CFC budget to respond to this crisis. As part of the city’s emergency response to the prolonged shutdown, DSS and HRA are proactively informing all SNAP recipients about this critical resource and sharing necessary guidance to ensure they have access to a conveniently located CFC-funded food programs or pantries.

Since the start of the Adams administration, the city has more than doubled funding for the CFC program, from approximately $27 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 to $58.6 million in FY 2026; revamped the program to prioritize the supply of fresh produce, fruits, and vegetables; and strengthened access to food programs across the five boroughs by refining the Food Help NYC Map and optimizing the mobile use of the map to help users find the nearest food pantry or soup kitchen. With increased funding during the Adams administration, the city more than doubled the amount of food distributed in a single fiscal year, with more than 47 million pounds of food distributed in FY 2025 to community-based food programs citywide.

Increasing Outreach to Medicaid Members to Access Food Through Social Care Network Program

The Social Care Network (SCN) program connects eligible Medicaid members with support for health-related social needs, including access to healthy food. In partnership with the state, the city is proactively working with New Yorkers on Medicaid to be screened and assessed for eligibility. HRA is intensifying efforts to encourage Medicaid members to get screened through the SCN network to see if they may be able to access critical food services, which includes pantry restocking, cooking supplies, and medically-tailored meals and food prescriptions. New Yorkers can get screened at locations across the five boroughs.

Strengthening and Expanding Access to Meals Across City Agencies

New York City Public Schools always provides access to free, healthy, and delicious breakfast and lunch. While potential SNAP disruptions may affect school communities, students can continue to count on their school meals without disturbance. New York City Public Schools currently serves and will continue to serve approximately 900,000 meals per day to students.

Older New Yorkers are encouraged to visit NYC Aging’s over 300 older adult centers across the city for a daily meal that is nutritious and delicious, in addition to the socialization, health-and-wellness programs, and educational and recreational activities they offer. In FY 2025, 10.2 million meals to older adults were served through NYC Aging providers across the city. Older adults can call Aging Connect at 212-AGING-NYC for assistance and information.

The New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) will be working closely with its non-profit providers — including its family services programs, Family Enrichment Centers, and community partnerships — to increase the availability of food for families. ACS is also working to keep its borough office food pantries stocked with healthy food for families served by those offices.

Advocating for Philanthropic Support

The city is urging philanthropic partners to support these emergency efforts by making contributions to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City to support the food provider network.

The following information was provided by the NJ Division of Family Development:

A number of pantries offer fresh produce in addition to stable, non-perishable foods, shopping appointments, and information about additional services. Residents can locate food pantries and community kitchens via NJ 211 here.

“Food banks play a vital role in connecting our state’s farms with families in need,” said New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Wengryn. “By accelerating Food and Hunger grant funding, we are ensuring New Jersey’s Emergency Food Organizations have the resources necessary to respond to the needs of their surrounding communities. This will help ensure that the fresh, local food grown by our farmers continues to reach residents who might otherwise go without, especially during this time of uncertainty.”

“Food security work is intentionally broader in the 21st Century because the challenges that existing systems and practices place on people, interconnect,” said Office of the Food Security Executive Director Mark Dinglasan. “Still, the reality is the day-to-day work of food banks and food pantries, including the six Food & Hunger grantees and their networks of local agencies, is very much needed in every community and each of our 21 counties. The collaborative way in which our colleagues across the Governor’s office, state agencies and partners in the Legislature have expedited these funding disbursements is a testament to how the state cares for all New Jerseyans’ well-being.”

“For the first time in history, the federal government has failed to fund the SNAP program beginning November 1st which leaves more than 800,000 New Jerseyans who rely on SNAP feeling anxious and uncertain of where their next meal will come from,” said Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman. “Amid this uncertainty, New Jersey is taking important action today to advance funding to Emergency Food Organizations to provide relief to families who are hungry and going without food. Of those who receive SNAP food assistance, nearly half are children, about 1 in 3 have a disability, and 1 in 5 are over the age of 60. This funding emergency has a real impact on neighbors, friends and loved ones across New Jersey and we thank the community food organizations for their partnership and commitment to help New Jerseyans through this emergency. I urge SNAP recipients to check NJ211 to connect to local food resources and to continue checking njsnap.gov for updates.”

“Nobody deserves to go hungry, and it is unacceptable for our federal government to put essential nutrition programs in such a precarious position. SNAP and WIC are lifelines to our most vulnerable neighbors – babies and children, seniors and hard-working families – and we cannot let them down,” said Acting New Jersey Health Commissioner Jeff Brown. “New Jersey did not create this crisis, but we will do everything we can to help ensure New Jerseyans don’t miss meals.”

“The Trump Administration’s suspension of SNAP isn’t just reckless and cruel, it is illegal,” said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “I applaud Governor Murphy for taking immediate action to accelerate grants to food banks across New Jersey as more and more residents will be forced to turn to them due to President Trump’s unlawful actions. At the same time, we are suing the Trump Administration to release SNAP contingency funds so that New Jersey families who depend on them have food at the table, and we will keep fighting until these critical benefits resume.”

While new funds will not be made available on November 1, 2025, SNAP recipients will be able to access any funds in their account that have carried over from October 2025 or previous months. SNAP recipients are encouraged to check their balances online here.

Additionally, in accordance with legislation signed by Governor Murphy in 2023 to raise the state’s minimum SNAP benefit, the approximately 32,000 households that routinely receive a State supplemental benefit to bring their monthly SNAP benefit to New Jersey’s $95 minimum can expect to receive the same next month. The amount per household is highly variable based on household size and circumstances.

All children in families receiving benefits from NJ SNAP are automatically eligible to receive free school meals and are encouraged to take advantage of this resource. Families enrolled in SNAP do not need to fill out a school meals application. They simply need to go to the school cafeteria for lunch and/or breakfast as usual. Students who do not currently receive free school meals should contact their school district to complete an application. More information about this program, which can be accessed here.

For households that are dual-enrolled in both SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, the New Jersey Department of Health projects that, based on normal spending, WIC benefits and services will continue without interruption through the end of November 2025.

In addition to contributing to adverse health outcomes for New Jersey SNAP recipients, the federal government’s failure to fund this program will also have a significant economic impact on the state. The New Jersey Department of Human Services notes that SNAP is a powerful economic multiplier, supporting more than 5,000 stores, grocers, and farmers markets. In Fiscal Year 2023, SNAP participants redeemed $2.5 billion in benefits at New Jersey retailers, accounting for 9.4 percent of statewide spending on food for consumption at home.

The Governor’s Office will continue to meet regularly with government agencies to monitor the impact of the federal government shutdown on food security, and the Murphy Administration will provide updated information and resources as they become available.

Banner Image: SNAP Emergency Announcement. Image Credit – United Way NYC