100,000 in Central NY will lose food stamp benefits this week: ‘How can we get food?’

Syracuse, N.Y. — More than 50,000 people in Onondaga County alone will lose their grocery money starting this weekend.

The federal food stamp program, referred to as SNAP, is caught up in the government shutdown and will not be funded starting Nov. 1.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program, posted on its website Monday that states will not be paid any benefits this week.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” reads a statement posted to the U.S.D.A.’s home page Monday. The agency issues $8 billion monthly in grocery money nationwide. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued Nov. 1.”

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is one of the largest and longest-running national efforts to help families make ends meet. It distributes $642 million in grocery money across New York state every month.

In Onondaga County, about one in five households depends on SNAP for a portion of their grocery budget every month. That’s $22 million a month. Nearly 100,000 people in Onondaga, Oswego, Madison and Cayuga counties get some or all of their grocery budgets from the program.

Statewide, that number is 3 million people. Nearly 1 million are children and 800,000 are elderly or disabled.

They will all be left scrambling to put food on their tables.

“We’re hitting deadlines that impact people in big ways,” said Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. The county does not have the money to subsidize SNAP, he said.

Those who depend on SNAP have had virtually no time to prepare or stock up. The public message around the issue has not been clear, with many agencies still holding out hope for a bailout from somewhere.

The USDA has told states and counties that it will not reimburse them if they decide to continue paying the benefits out of their own budgets.

County social service agencies have been directing families to lists of food banks in their communities in case they run out of food. The Food Bank of Central New York, which serves 11 counties, has ordered 20% more food this month to help pantries stock up.

“We’re increasing our food purchases in anticipation of increased need,” said Becky Lare, vice president of government relations for the Food Bank of CNY. “We cannot, however, match the impact SNAP has on alleviating hunger.”

While money can carry over from one month to the next, most families use all of their money each month. They depend on their payments at the beginning of the month to restock their pantries and refrigerators.

As of now, no one in New York will receive more money on their SNAP cards, which act like debit cards. The program is simple: People take the cards to the store and use them to buy covered items.

But come Nov. 1, people who depend on SNAP will have to turn to food pantries and other emergency food programs in their communities to make up for the lost food money. That’s where the state is sending its support.

Gov. Kathy Hochul pledged $41 million to support emergency food programs across the state. That’s about two days of the state’s SNAP budget.

Mable Wilson, a Syracuse resident who lives with her daughter’s family, said she depends on her SNAP payment every month.

“There’s six of us,” said Wilson, who is 75. “We’re in a pickle. How will we get food?”

She is hoping that community nonprofits, food pantries and businesses will come together to make more free food available for struggling families like hers.

Murray Gould, who runs the food pantry at St. Lucy’s on Syracuse’s Near Westside, said he’s already seeing an increase in the number of people who are coming in for food. The pantry usually sees about 30 people on the days it is open; last week, that number grew to 50, he said.

He said people may be stocking up to prepare for the cuts.

Programs that serve the city’s homeless and struggling expect to see ripples from the cut.

Andrew Lunetta, executive director at A Tiny Home for Good, said about 60% of the people in his program rely on SNAP.

Lunetta said he expects that if SNAP gets cut, the city’s homeless numbers, already at a record high, will increase.

“If people have to decide between food and rent, people might start choosing food,” Lunetta said. “This isn’t going to help.”

To find a food pantry or emergency food program near you, search here.

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