STATEN ISLAND, NY — The government shutdown has entered its second month, and many Staten Islanders are struggling to make ends meet.
The federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program serves roughly 42 million Americans, ensuring that they are able to buy groceries. The Associated Press reported that due to the shutdown, the funding of this $8 billion program has been in question, prompting urgent responses from food banks and state agencies.
Last week, the Trump Administration announced it will partially fund SNAP following court rulings mandating its continuation, despite an earlier plan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to halt payments due to the government shutdown. While the exact benefit amounts and timing remain uncertain, the process of reloading SNAP debit cards could take up to two weeks in some states, leaving many recipients, including thousands of Staten Islanders, in limbo.
“The government shutdown is devastating for our seniors. Many rely on SNAP just to keep food on the table, and without it, they’re forced to make impossible choices between eating, paying for medication, or covering rent,” said Anne Marie Selfridge, an administrator for ACT Cares Foundation, a Staten Island food pantry that serves local seniors and families.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican who represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn in Congress, expressed her concerns about the shutdown, while urging her constituents to seek the support they may need during this time.
“I visited a few food pantries, and I spoke with seniors in the district. Our office is fully open and if people have a particular need they can call our office, and we will set them up with local organization,” Rep. Malliotakis stated. “The need to reopen the government is critical right now.”
She added that her office has worked with Catholic Charities and various church organization pantries, as well as City Harvest to help families in need.
Malliotakis highlighted that the federal government has maintained the Women, Infants and Children Program, also known as WIC, throughout the shutdown.
“It’s a smaller population than SNAP recipients,” she stated. “So it was doable for them to use some tariff money to keep that program running, which is really important for about 400,000 to 500,000 New Yorkers.”
Malliotakis has also previously called for the president to use contingency funds to fund SNAP, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
“I have publicly called for the president to do whatever he legally can to fund SNAP. So when there was a judicial case last week, and the judge said that they can use the contingency funds, I right away said that the president should and they’re planning to do it, but it is taking a little bit of time,” she said.
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