While Congress is inching closer to ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the fight over SNAP benefits continues.
After an appeals court ruled late Nov. 9 that SNAP benefits must be paid in full for November, the Trump administration notified the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 10 that it would appeal the ruling. Trump also demanded that some states, including New York, which have begun distributing SNAP benefits for November, “undo” the rollout. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Nov. 9 that she directed state agencies to issue full SNAP benefits to eligible New Yorkers starting Nov. 10, despite the federal shutdown.
In the meantime, Brooklyn-based organizations and private citizens have sprung into action, organizing fundraisers to help community members who rely on SNAP benefits to feed their families.
Emily Correale, a member of the Facebook group “Park Slope Together,” which was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, organized a “Grocery Buddy” drive connecting volunteers with SNAP recipients.
With the support of Sylvia Rodriguez, a community organizer who works with low-income families and one of the administrators of Park Slope Together, Correale has so far connected 18 families — 95% of them single mothers — with group members who have donated an average of about $400, either directly, through online grocery orders, or a combination of both.
“One woman who was connected with a pregnant woman immediately ordered her a takeout dinner order for that night, and worked with her on giving her a combination of cash and groceries,” Correale explained.
Correale told Brooklyn Paper that many food-insecure families felt ashamed and were modest about their needs.
“One mother, I asked her if $150 per week would be helpful, and she said, ‘Yes, that would be extremely helpful, but I don’t want to be greedy, and anything would help.’ I imagine, probably with the way that grocery prices are, that’s probably the minimum she needs,” Correale said.
Correale also launched a GoFundMe campaign for families who are uncomfortable sharing their contact information due to fears of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As of Nov. 11, the campaign had raised more than $5,700, exceeding its $5,000 goal. The funds will be distributed through Rodriguez and used to buy groceries, formula and diapers.
“I feel like we’re all connected, so I think we have a responsibility to each other. The fact that people are going hungry, and we’re still paying ICE agents,” Correale said. “I couldn’t sit by and do nothing about that. I think it’s really a shame.”
The Park Slope Food Coop, a member-owned and run food cooperative founded in 1973, immediately jumped into action when SNAP funding was cut and launched a fundraiser to support its members who receive SNAP benefits. So far, the Coop has raised more than $20,000, with over $5,000 already distributed to members who rely on SNAP during the first week. Once benefits are fully restored, any remaining funds will be donated to Community Help in Park Slope (CHiPS), one of the Coop’s longtime partners in addressing food insecurity.
Joseph Szladek, the Coop’s general manager, told Brooklyn Paper that while the percentage of members receiving SNAP benefits is smaller than the 12% of Americans who rely on them, it still represents a meaningful number of households. The loss of benefits, he said, has had a real and immediate impact on their access to food.
“Some members have told us how much this has helped after such a sudden cutoff in benefits. A few have cried at the register. Others have written in or stopped staff to share how moved they are to feel cared for by the Coop community,” Szladek said, noting that the response to the fundraiser has been “incredible.”
“Many Coop members were asking how they could help, and once the donation channel opened, contributions started coming in right away. So many have written to say how grateful they are to have a way to contribute,” Szladek said.
While the fundraiser is open only to Coop members, Szladek encouraged the public to donate to local food pantries and soup kitchens. Coop members regularly support CHiPS through food donations, financial contributions and volunteer time.
“Even without the current SNAP funding disruption, these organizations have recently seen rising demand and can use all the support they can get,” Szladek said.
CHiPS, a food pantry and community meal provider, noticed an increase in customers at its weekly mobile distribution event in the South Slope outside P.S. 124 on Nov. 5.
“This is our fourth pantry distribution since Nov. 1, and this one seems to be the first where there’s a more noticeable uptick,” said Peter Andres, executive director of CHiPS. “We packed more food today and at the previous stops this week, just to be sure.”
Angelique Coward, P.S. 124’s Student in Temporary Housing coordinator, said she currently supports about 130 families in temporary housing. The families were scared and nervous, Coward said. In addition to providing information about food pantries like CHiPS, her office is collaborating with the school’s Parent-Teacher Association.
“We’re partnering with the PTA. The PTA has gotten some funding from outside. We’re gonna start getting together some meal packages, weekend packages, and we’re gonna see the demand of how many people need [support],” Coward said. “I have some resources that I have from Fresh Direct. So I’ve been helping [families].”
In South Brooklyn, Bay Ridge Cares committed $10,000 in initial relief to furloughed or unpaid federal workers and an additional $10,000 to local food pantries.
Karen Tadross, co-founder and president of Bay Ridge Cares, a local nonprofit run entirely by volunteers, said the organization exists for crises like the SNAP freeze and government shutdown.
“In Bay Ridge, we take care of one another. It’s what we’ve always done. Whether it’s a federal worker missing a paycheck or a local food pantry struggling to keep shelves full, we step up and do what we can to ease the burden. Even in hard times, there’s strength in kindness and comfort in knowing you’re not alone,” Tadross said in a statement.
At Asiyah Women’s Center in Brooklyn, 95% of clients rely on SNAP benefits to feed their children. The emergency center — the first to provide temporary housing and other support services to domestic violence survivors and victims of homelessness, with a focus on Muslim women — also launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for its Asiyah Groceries Program. The program provides halal groceries, fresh produce and essential pantry items. A donation of $50 provides one week of groceries for a family in need; $150 supports three families; and $500 restocks the center’s shelves and supports multiple families throughout the month.
