What’s Happening with SNAP—and How You Can Help

The U.S. is facing one of the largest hunger crises in its history¹ with the potential halt to SNAP benefits on November 1. While regular SNAP funding is suspended due to the government shutdown, the USDA maintains a contingency fund^2,3 specifically to continue these critical benefits. With demand on food pantries and hunger relief organizations already at record highs, these cuts further impact 1.8 million New Yorkers, our neighbors and friends, now uncertain about how they will afford food in the coming weeks. As a food justice organization, we have always believed that access to healthy food is a human right and should not be politicized. 

If you or someone you know needs help accessing food, visit Lemon Tree or Mutual Aid NYC to find nearby food resources and support.

Teens for Food Justice is using our voice and partnerships to push for solutions while supporting the communities we serve. We’re advising the NYS Task Force on Food, Farm, and Nutrition and working alongside food pantries, emergency food providers, and farm-to-school organizations to promote an immediate, coordinated effort and shape long-term policies. We’ve also signed on to letters urging bipartisan action in Washington and immediate steps from the state to fill the gaps. 

We’re also working with our community-based partners to strengthen and adapt our growing and distribution systems, maximizing efficiencies across our three channels—school cafeterias, take-home bags to campus families, and community partnerships—to ensure fresh, healthy produce reaches those most affected. 

While we focus on expanding access through our farms and partnerships, there are steps each of us can take individually to strengthen our local food networks.

Here’s what you can do right now:

• Support local hunger relief and mutual aid efforts. Find your neighborhood food bank or pantry through Lemon Tree and your local mutual aid network through Mutual Aid NYC. Ask what your local pantry needs, then organize food drives with your PTA or community group.
  
  
• Shop local. Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates about $1.50 in economic activity.⁴ These cuts will affect local grocers and bodegas—support them directly when you can.
  
  
• Donate funds to TFFJ or to our partner organizations. Food pantries buy wholesale, so every dollar goes farther—and monetary donations have greater impact than material goods.
  • Manhattan:
    • Lincoln Square Community Center
    • Gotham Park
  • The Bronx
    • Good Shepherd Services
    • Kingsbridge Heights Community Center
  • Queens
    • Central Assisted Living
    • New Horizons Counseling Center
  • Citywide
    • JASA
    • The Campaign Against Hunger

TFFJ is staying closely connected with our partners and local networks to help families weather this disruption. Together, we can help reduce the impact of this crisis, lessen the strain on families and strengthen our community connections.

1. https://www.amny.com/news/nyc-residents-snap-cut-off-next-month/
2. https://gothamist.com/news/ny-attorney-general-sues-trump-administration-to-resume-snap-payouts
3. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-food-stamps-lawsuit-25-states-trump-administration/
4. https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/10/28/the-loss-of-snap-benefits-could-have-ripple-effects-across-the-economy