ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Hunger is coming to New York as benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, widely known as SNAP, are scheduled to run out in a matter of days if the federal government shutdown does not end. 

What You Need To Know

SNAP benefits are set to expire in a matter of days if the federal government shutdown continues

Volunteers say that across the state, food banks were already stretched thin, even before the federal government shutdown 

The Trump administration recently indicated that it would refrain from utilizing approximately $5 billion in contingency funds to ensure the continuation of benefits into November

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on their website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1 and won’t use contingency funds to keep SNAP afloat if the government shutdown continues. That move is expected to affect more than 40 million Americans who rely on food stamps.

“The Democrats are stopping it,” President Donald Trump said. “All they have to do is agree and we’re ready – we voted for it many times. All we need is five Democrats. The Republicans vote for it, but we’ll see what happens. They’re doing some really bad things. I think they’re lost – they’re lost souls.”

This is leaving food pantry workers like Warren Meeks Jr. to brace for impact, ensuring food needs are met amid the shutdown. 

“There have been a lot of cutbacks that have affected us all around. And normally our shelves will be full and they’re not because the access to food is not there like it used to be,” Rochester Family Mission Executive Director Warren Meeks Jr. said. “And also the shutdown is really going to affect us. And we are running out of supply very fast.”

Staff says SNAP is more than a food assistance program, it’s a lifeline that helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries.

“We’re hearing that a lot of food pantries don’t have any food,” Meeks Jr. said. “So we are one of the food pantries that do have some food left. Lately we’re seeing north of 50 families plus a day, and that’s for the entire family. But, I mean, it can go higher than that. Sometimes we can see as much as hundreds of people and families in one day.” 

As families scramble for alternatives, the food pantry is scrambling for a solution.

“We’re trusting and believing that the people who have the ability to help and donate will do so, and we’ll be able to still meet all of our quotas and still be able to take care of the community,” Meeks Jr. said. 

The impact could also continue to roll into the holiday season, when the food pantry typically experiences a higher-than-normal demand for help and are asking community partners for assistance with the influx. 

“In the Bible, in Matthew, it says that when I was hungry, you fed me,” Meeks Jr. said. “So I feel like we need to be a community that doesn’t allow people to go unfed. The least of us deserve at least the opportunity to eat. And we should make sure as a community that we pull together and we do what is necessary to make sure everyone has a meal and everyone’s full.”

The Rochester Family Mission says they are helping people bridge that gap between what they have and what they need.