While politicians are urging the Trump administration to ensure that SNAP recipients in New York state—and across the nation—receive their November benefits without delay, food banks across the city are scaling up their efforts as New York City residents brace for the impact of the SNAP benefits freeze.
Soni Sangha, executive director of the Camp Friendship food pantry in Park Slope, said calls about the food pantry’s hours had increased significantly over the last three days and predicted that food insecurity would rise with the impending disruption of the food assistance program.
“Everybody is bracing and everybody is worried, and rightfully so. Not having SNAP is going to make a difference to a lot of families in our area and in our city, and any projected cuts that might come from the past budget are also going to impact our families,” Sangha said.
Last week, Camp Friendship, which opened five years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic, served 530 families. When the food pantry launched in 2020, it served 50 families.
“We think it is just going to get harder for people as time goes by,” said Sangha, adding that while people had to register, they weren’t required to present an ID or utility bills.
“We believe that food should be a right of all people, and if you need it, we have it,” Sangha said.
Peter Endriss, executive director of CHiPS, a food pantry and community meal provider on 4th Avenue between Park Slope and Gowanus, said the organization was trying to order as much food as possible.
“But we, being a small organization, are already really at capacity, so we don’t have the ability to take in and hold more food, or the space and staff to distribute it. So we’re going to do our best to try and see what we can stretch at least for the next week,” Endriss said.
Endriss noted that the organization would have more insight by the end of next week regarding the increase in clients, and if necessary, plans to partner with other organizations and food spaces, as well as possibly increase distribution hours, to accommodate the surge in need.
“We’re in touch with other nonprofits in the food space, as well as our local council people. And everyone is aware and on alert of what’s going on,” Endriss said.
On Oct. 30, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in response to the impending SNAP freeze, and said $65 million would be put toward food banks, pantries, and other resources providing emergency food assistance.
At a weekly food distribution event outside P.S. 140 on Oct. 29, CHiPS client Stacey, the mother of two teenagers— one of whom is on the autism spectrum and has Erb’s palsy —told the Brooklyn Paper that she usually receives $310 a month in SNAP benefits. She shared that despite receiving SNAP benefits, she still had to rely on food pantries, especially CHiPS, which also provides fresh vegetables and fruit.
“If CHiPS were not here for me, we would be hungry. We are hungry, but at least I could ruffle enough vegetables to give my kid at least one serving of vegetables for the week. Not every day meal, maybe on a Wednesday, like today, when we get the fruits and vegetables. [The food] will last me until probably Monday if I stretch it. That was with SNAP benefits,” Stacey explained.
Stacey, who is diabetic, explained that some food pantries only distributed canned goods, not considering people with health issues.
“I’m killing myself at this point, eating so many canned goods. I only take what I need and leave the rest for whoever is in need of that,” Stacey shared. “So, I come here and I’m thankful for the fresh fruits. It’s like finding the gold chain on the streets at this point.”
While more than a dozen states have sued the Trump administration on Oct 28 over its refusal to fund food stamps while the government shutdown is ongoing, Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Oct. 29, “We’re going to get it done,” suggesting that his administration might find a way to fund SNAP benefits, though without providing any details.
“Now that Trump is finding out that most of his red states are where the food stamps are – I’m watching the news and I’m trying to educate myself more- now he is maybe considering releasing the emergency fund. So now everybody’s in the same boat,” Stacey noted.
Alexander Rapaport, executive director of Masbia, a nonprofit soup kitchen network and food pantry with two locations in Brooklyn and one in Queens, told Brooklyn Paper that he noticed an increase in the number of people signing up for food assistance through Plentiful, an app that was created by the NYC Food Assistance Collaborative to improve efficiency between food providers and the community.
“I have noticed a lot of first-time tags recently,” said Rapaport, noting that there was also an increase in people booking evening appointments, which are normally less popular than daytime appointments.
“Last night, we literally had to close late because we had a lot of appointments. [The evening appointments] were all taken; it was way more people than we expected,” Rapaport shared.
Masbia, which mostly relies on donations, has been in operation for 20 years and is experienced in handling crises.
“During COVID, we ended up going from being open just eight to nine hours a day to being open 24 hours a day. It’s something that might need to return. There are all kinds of different things we don’t know yet,” Rapaport said.
The organization also partnered with DoorDash for its home delivery service. Generally, nonprofits pay a subsidized rate to the food delivery app. However, on Oct. 26, DoorDash announced it would waive delivery and service fees for its food bank partners.
“That helps us a lot with a lot of food rescue, because a lot of food that we get from vendors has short dates, and we need to get it out to the people fast,” Rapaport explained.
Besides food pantries and soup kitchens, dozens of community fridges across Brooklyn provide a free and anonymous source of food with 24/7 accessibility to Brooklynites in need.
South Sloper Sandra Kornbluth was filling the community fridge on 6th Street outside Postmark Cafe with fresh fruit and vegetables, meatballs, canned goods, jerky sticks, and mac and cheese, which Kornbluth ordered online from Imperfect Foods.
“[I bought] things that I thought would make sense, like fruit that would last, more oranges and apples, and stuff like that. Nutritious and filling was the goal,” Kornbluth said.
To find a food pantry, community fridge, or soup kitchen near you, or to donate food or funds, consider checking out one of the organizations listed below.
Met Council operates the largest kosher food pantry network in the country, serving several locations in Brooklyn. New Yorkers in need can place their food order through their online ordering and pantry management tool, and can pick up the order at one of the participating locations, including the Met Council Brooklyn Hub in Boro Park.
Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services’ food pantry network provides food assistance to families and individuals in need throughout Brooklyn. Visit their page for a comprehensive list of food pantries in Brooklyn.
ACTS Community Development Corporation maintains a food pantry at 2114 Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island. Food Pantry hours are Tuesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to Noon. Pickup is once a week, and community members must bring a photo ID, proof of current address, and contact information.
Apna Brooklyn Community Center, located at 225 Neptune Avenue, offers weekly food distribution and hot meals on Wednesdays from 2 p.m. until supplies last.
Additionally, the organization provides hot meals at its community center, located at 236 Neptune Avenue, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, as well as at its location in Bensonhurst, 2033-2035 Bath Avenue, every Friday. All locations are open from 2 p.m. until supplies run out.
Black Veterans for Social Justice hosts a food distribution in collaboration with the Hello Fresh Company at its headquarters, located at 665 Willoughby Avenue in Stuyvesant Heights, every Wednesday afternoon. Distribution is completely free of charge, with no questions asked.
The Bnai Raphael Chesed Organization, located at 3846 Flatlands Ave in Marine Park, provides community members with essential services, including clothing and food. The store is open Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday by appointment only.
CHiPS, located at 200 4th Avenue between Park Slope and Gowanus, serves breakfast and lunch Mondays through Saturdays. The food pantry operates on Thursdays and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. CHiPS mobile pantry locations visit Gowanus NYCHA Houses on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Marcy NYCHA Houses on Tuesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., and South Slope PS 124 on Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Upcoming mobile pantry dates in Kensington Plaza are scheduled for Nov. 7 and 21, and Dec. 5 and 19.
The Campaign Against Hunger SuperPantry, located at 2004 Fulton Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. New Yorkers in need can also sign up for their online pantry here.
Camp Friendship, located at 339 8th Street in Park Slope, is open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. New visitors can register on any Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. without documentation or ID, and can shop immediately after registering. The organization welcomes donations of unexpired and unopened non-perishable food items, which can be dropped off on Fridays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 339 8th Street.
Collective Focus, a women, POC, and LGBTQIA+ led organization, hosts food distribution events on Tuesdays from Noon to 2 p.m. at 1046 Broadway in Bedford-Stuyvesant, and a pop-up food distribution event at 190 Knickerbocker Ave in Bushwick on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Additionally, the organization fills the community refrigerator, located at 1046 Broadway, with Trader Joe’s groceries on Mondays and Wednesdays and with Wegmans goods on Sundays.
Life of Hope provides fresh produce, non-perishable items, and culturally relevant foods in Central Brooklyn. The food pantry at 1377 Brooklyn Ave. is open Tuesdays & Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. Walk-ins are welcome, and ID is not required.
One Community pantries are open to anyone who needs assistance. The organization operates two “Fresh Pantry” locations on Saturdays. One is at the Ingersoll Community Center, 177 Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the other is at the Church of the Open Door, 201 Gold Street in downtown Brooklyn, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Masbia, a nonprofit soup kitchen network and food pantry, offers hot meals at its Brooklyn locations in Boro Park and Flatbush. The soup kitchen in Boro Park at 5402 New Utrecht Ave is open Mondays through Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the Flatbush soup kitchen at 1372 Coney Island is open Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. -except on Jewish holidays. To receive free groceries, Brooklynites need to sign up with Masbia’s food pantry app.
Trinity Human Services Corporation, located at 153-A Johnson Ave, serves economically disadvantaged residents in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Bushwick. Its food pantry is open Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Vinegar Hill Food Pantry holds weekly food distributions on Tuesdays at Noon at 228 York Street and also keeps the Little Red Food Box outside the Vinegar Hill Community Garden stocked.
