The fear of hunger is permeating food pantries and grocery stores across the tri-state and around the country, with many families unsure of where their next meal came from once their SNAP benefits run out.
At the Food Brigade in New Jersey, they hear the stories every day — including from people with full-time jobs. Founder Karen DeMarco told NBC New York that one woman came in on Thursday in a panic because her SNAP benefits had run out for the month and she wasn’t sure she’d be getting anymore money.
“She came in and she said, “I’m hungry…My kids are hungry, I really have no food,” said DeMarco. “She said the last two meals she gave her kids and she hadn’t even eaten. But she was showing me that she works, but she’s not making enough. She actually works in a hospital.”
Food pantries are becoming a lifeline for people who work but don’t make enough to put food on the table every day. They say people who rely on SNAP may not be who you think they are.
“The vast majority of SNAP recipients aren’t homeless. The vast majority of hungry New Yorkers aren’t homeless. They’re low-income working people,” said Joel Berg, of Hunger Free America. “They’re not a pan handler, they’re your home healthcare attendants, they’re someone working in a grocery store. Someone might be fixing your roof.”
But the stigma often forces people into hiding. And with benefits set to expire on Saturday, panic has set in for people like the mother who came into the Food Brigade.
“She was in a panic state. And she was so stressed out and she was so upset because she knew she was coming in and she was prepared to beg for food,” DeMarco said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy have pledged tens of millions of dollars to keep people fed if the federal SNAP dollars don’t fund recipients for the month of November. Hochul on Thursday announced New York would pledge $100 million in state funding to help feed the three million New Yorkers who relied on SNAP.
“I’m officially declaring an emergency, a food emergency. And I want to unleash every tool at our disposal to keep New Yorkers from going hungry,” Hochul said.
Food pantries near you
For those looking for food pantries in their area, either to donate or to seek assistance, here is some information:
In New York City, click here for a full list of food pantries, broken down by borough. The city’s Department of Youth & Community Development provides the names and addresses of dozens of spots that can help families in need.
For the state of New York, there are regional food banks that distribute items to local county Emergency Food Relief Organizations. For a full list of those local organizations, click here.
In New Jersey, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) offers information on where to get resources for food and other necessities in counties across the state. For information on how to donate, volunteer, or where to go for food, click here.