NEW YORK CITY (WRGB) — A state of emergency has been declared over SNAP benefits in New York state. Gov. Kathy Hochul made the announcement in New York City on Thursday morning. The announcement brings the total of allocated state funds to help feed New Yorkers to $106 million, according to Hochul’s office.
This comes as nearly three million New Yorkers are set to lose SNAP benefits on Saturday, due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Hochul said New York and 24 other states are suing the Trump administration over the cuts.
Meanwhile, the state is allocating $65 million in emergency food assistance to help those affected. That includes $40 million for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program and $25 million for Nourish NY, which distributes surplus agricultural products.
“This is a food emergency, and I want to unleash every tool at our disposal to keep New Yorkers from going hungry,” Hochul said.
In addition, Empire State Service Corps and SUNY Corps members are being deployed to support food banks.
“I’m bringing in students from all over the state to help out here. They’ll be your front-line fighters,” Hochul added.
Hochul also noted that all schools in New York State will now cover the full cost of breakfast and lunch for all students.
The challenge, she said, is figuring out a way to get some of that food home. Federal rules prohibit school-served food from being taken off campus, but Hochul said she’s exploring workarounds.
“Can we describe it as ‘leftovers from lunch’?” she asked. “It’s not new food. It’s leftovers.”
Hochul also announced a website to help New Yorkers impacted by federal cuts.
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She also noted that New York administers $650 million per month in SNAP benefits, and no state can backfill the federal program.