CENTRAL NEW YORK — The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance today announced $26.4 million for enhanced outreach to help over 340,000 New Yorkers obtain food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other nutrition assistance programming across New York State.

That money includes $708,457 towards the Food Bank of Central New York. The food bank serves Cayuga, Lewis, Jefferson, Oswego, Onondaga, Madison, Herkimer, Chenango, Cortland, Oneida and St. Lawrence counties. It’s headquarters are in Syracuse and it may be reached at (315) 437-1899.

Living Independently is For Everyone in Oneida received $75,100. LIFE is a core initiative and program provided through the Resource Center for Independent Living in Oneida County. It’s located in Utica and can be reached at (315) 797-4642.

The Nutrition Navigators program will replace and expand existing outreach efforts that help New Yorkers learn more about, apply for, and receive assistance from SNAP.  This includes help navigating the expanded SNAP work requirements enacted and imposed by the Trump Administration under H.R.1.

“The Nutrition Navigators program will strengthen our ongoing efforts to connect more lower income New Yorkers to SNAP and other essential food assistance programs, especially in underserved areas of the state,” Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said.

The Nutrition Navigators program will provide direct outreach to individuals seeking food assistance across New York State, including SNAP pre-screening, application assistance, information about SNAP, and support in meeting the expanded work requirements signed into law by President Trump.

Participating providers will develop and implement innovative ways to connect potentially eligible individuals with SNAP benefits and other nutrition programs. These programs include WIC, Summer EBT, the National School Lunch Program.

The goal is to help New Yorkers make informed decisions about whether to apply for SNAP and other available programs and helping them navigate the application processes.

The OTDA oversees the Nutrition Navigators program, which combines and builds upon the services that had previously been provided by the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program and Targeted SNAP Outreach Program, both of which ended on September 30.

In July 2025, President Trump signed H.R.1 into law, which expanded SNAP work requirements, putting hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers at-risk of losing assistance if they are unable to meet more stringent rules that limit SNAP receipt to three months in a three-year period for those who don’t comply.

Since President Trump signed H.R.1 into law, OTDA has worked proactively to provide updates and information to help as many New Yorkers remain connected to SNAP and keep their benefits as possible. This includes:

H.R. 1, officially known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, is a major budget reconciliation package signed into law by U.S. President Donald J. Trump on July 4, 2025.

H.R. 1 implements roughly $1.15 trillion in federal healthcare cuts over a decade, including mandatory work requirements of 80 hours per month and more frequent redeterminations for Medicaid recipients. Adults who do not meet the 80-hour work requirements have their SNAP benefits limited to three months over a three-year window.

Hunger Solutions will also help ensure federal regulations and State requirements are met and conduct a needs assessment to help OTDA identify underserved areas and improve statewide SNAP outreach.

Hunger Solutions will direct local social services districts to notify and assist SNAP recipients in complying with the requirements, by connecting them with job opportunities, facilitating their job search, and helping them find volunteer opportunities with locally-based provider organizations. These go beyond the federal requirements to offer New Yorkers support in maintaining their benefits.

OTDA remains focused on continuing to support local districts and clients throughout implementation to ensure as many households as possible remain connected to vital SNAP benefits that help them afford food.

The new Nutrition Navigators program includes increased state and local funding to maintain and enhance SNAP public outreach to offset the reduction, effective October 1, 2026, in federal reimbursement for SNAP administrative costs, including outreach, from 50% to 25%, as part of the Federal H.R. 1 bill, signed by President Trump last year.

In addition, the new Nutrition Navigators program includes $4.4 million in funding for Hunger Solutions New York to provide statewide technical assistance and guidance to support the local services providers with training, research, program evaluation, and development of outreach initiatives.

In-person and virtual support will be available in every county, provided through 44 community-based direct services providers. Twelve counties will have virtual support services, which will be provided by Hunger Solutions.