Nonprofit hunger-relief agencies work to fill gaps as SNAP expires

About 75,000 people in New Hampshire — including children, working families, seniors and people with disabilities — usually get nutritious food through the federal SNAP program. On November 1, access to SNAP benefits is expected to freeze due to the federal government shutdown. Food insecurity across the country is expected to rise as millions of people lose access to the hunger-relief program.

The New Hampshire Food Bank, which had already seen an increase in demand this year coupled with a decrease in federal support, is partnering with the state to try to help fill the gaps for people in need. A series of mobile food pantries is being set up across New Hampshire, supplementing those the Food Bank already runs. The Food Bank will also be distributing boxes of shelf-stable foods to some food pantries around the state for redistribution.

The state has contracted with the Food Bank for $2 million — which is an important stop-gap, but is just a fraction of the $12 million per month that will be lost in food aid to New Hampshire families if SNAP benefits are frozen.

Food pantries across the state are also reporting an uptick in demand and a significant increase in expenses as prices have risen and some food donations have declined. Pantries expect to have to purchase more food to meet the need.

“Pantries are doing their best to prepare for another significant surge in demand,” said Ben Amsden, who leads the Foundation’s work to help Granite Staters meet basic needs. “But they are going to need a lot of community support.” The Food Bank maintains this food map of pantries around the state that are its partner agencies.

The Foundation is helping to support emergency hunger-relief efforts, including funding for people to purchase fresh foods (like dairy products and vegetables) to supplement the shelf-stable foods that the Food Bank will be distributing at the mobile pantries.

Need is expected to be ongoing, as $186 billion had already been cut from the SNAP program over 10 years under the federal budget reconciliation bill. The Foundation is also supporting efforts to help families meet basic needs through the state’s network of family resource centers.

“We encourage Foundation fund-holders and everyone who is able to make generous donations to the Food Bank, and their local food pantries and family resource centers to help make sure all of our neighbors have food on their tables and can meet their basic needs,” said Melinda Mosier, vice president for philanthropy and donor services at the Foundation.

Unrestricted support is especially important to allow hunger-relief organizations to respond to this evolving situation — as is support for New Hampshire Hunger Solutions, which is working on the policy and advocacy fronts to end hunger across the state.

“Hunger is a solvable problem,” said Laura Milliken of Hunger Solutions.

Foundation fund-holders who would like to learn more can reach out to our donor services department at 603-225-6641, ext. 3 or qbabefreivprf@aups.bet, or recommend grants from donor-advised funds through the MyNHCF portal.