New York City's Food Crisis Lingers as SNAP Benefits Resume
The two-week shutdown of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in New York City has left a trail of uncertainty and hardship among its 1.8 million recipients, many of whom rely on the program to feed their families.
For those who have experienced the effects firsthand, the disruption is all too real. "I'm already preparing myself for when it's going to happen again," said Alvin Copeland, 64, a SNAP recipient who received his benefits late. "The damage is done already." Copeland and others like him had to scramble to find alternative food sources, turning to soup kitchens and food banks for the first time.
Organizations serving New Yorkers in shelter or with mental illness reported a surge in demand, with some pantries seeing a 300% increase in visitors over the two-week period. Zac Hall, senior vice president of programs for Food Bank New York City, described the scene as "chaotic" and noted that 20% of their pantries were forced to turn people away due to lack of food.
The shutdown also had unintended consequences, such as leaving some recipients struggling with credit card debt. "Those are things that aren't remedied because SNAP benefits are now in people's pockets," Hall said. "Folks are still underwater in many cases, dealing with the aftermath of this crisis."
Food advocates and grocery store managers reported a significant impact on sales, with some stores seeing a 20-25% drop in sales at the beginning of the month. While some grocers offered discounts or special promotions to mitigate the effects, others said they continued to suffer.
The return of SNAP benefits has brought relief to many recipients, but advocates are now concerned about how new work requirements could potentially kick people off the program by March. "If this is possible, what else is possible?" asked Ciara Ruddock, program director of the research unit at Fountain House. The uncertainty lingers, with many families still reeling from the effects of the shutdown.
The two-week shutdown of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in New York City has left a trail of uncertainty and hardship among its 1.8 million recipients, many of whom rely on the program to feed their families.
For those who have experienced the effects firsthand, the disruption is all too real. "I'm already preparing myself for when it's going to happen again," said Alvin Copeland, 64, a SNAP recipient who received his benefits late. "The damage is done already." Copeland and others like him had to scramble to find alternative food sources, turning to soup kitchens and food banks for the first time.
Organizations serving New Yorkers in shelter or with mental illness reported a surge in demand, with some pantries seeing a 300% increase in visitors over the two-week period. Zac Hall, senior vice president of programs for Food Bank New York City, described the scene as "chaotic" and noted that 20% of their pantries were forced to turn people away due to lack of food.
The shutdown also had unintended consequences, such as leaving some recipients struggling with credit card debt. "Those are things that aren't remedied because SNAP benefits are now in people's pockets," Hall said. "Folks are still underwater in many cases, dealing with the aftermath of this crisis."
Food advocates and grocery store managers reported a significant impact on sales, with some stores seeing a 20-25% drop in sales at the beginning of the month. While some grocers offered discounts or special promotions to mitigate the effects, others said they continued to suffer.
The return of SNAP benefits has brought relief to many recipients, but advocates are now concerned about how new work requirements could potentially kick people off the program by March. "If this is possible, what else is possible?" asked Ciara Ruddock, program director of the research unit at Fountain House. The uncertainty lingers, with many families still reeling from the effects of the shutdown.
just read about the SNAP crisis in NYC and i'm literally shook 
1.8 million people struggling to put food on the table? it's heartbreaking 
how are ppl supposed to recover from this? and now they're worried 'bout new work reqs kickin ppl off the program? that's just not fair 
u need to get ur priorities straight NYC! 
And then there's the credit card debt thing... poor people who can't even get by on their regular income are getting hit with even more financial stress. 
It's like, the system is just not working right.
And now that they're back on, there's still uncertainty about work requirements... it's like, one thing after another. 
It's time for the government to step up and help these people out ASAP! 
. It's appalling to see 1.8 million people, including seniors like Alvin Copeland (64), struggling to put food on their tables for the first time 
. The chaotic scene at food banks and pantries is a stark reminder of the systemic vulnerabilities in our social safety net 
.
. We need to work towards creating a more equitable and sustainable food system that protects our most vulnerable citizens 
. Anything less would be a dereliction of our duty to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious food, regardless of their socio-economic status 
food bank new york city is literally doin its best with the resources they got and 300% increase in visitors?? that's wild