Decisions by the Trump administration to cut off Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the government shutdown left millions scrambling for food or doing without. Worse still for many is not knowing when and how much aid they’ll be able to receive.
In the face of this policy whiplash, food pantries, businesses and community apps have been helping fill the food access and information gap. Here are some resources vetted by local experts.
How to get emergency food
Some emergency food services, including cash-strapped pantries, have been changing their days or times of service, the amount of food available and even distribution locations in response to changes in funding or logistical hurdles. We would know: Epicenter NYC has been tracking food pantry operations and partnering with food workers on the ground and in our coverage since our beginnings.
While contacting an emergency food service directly is the best way to confirm availability and details, here are some recommended food finders:
- Food Connect Map: perhaps the most comprehensive statewide resource, created by the Food Pantries for the Capital District. It lists food pantries, community meal sites and mobile markets statewide, with filters for SNAP or WIC enrollment help. (Make sure you move your cursor over the area you’re interested in or use the drop-down menu on the left.)
- Food Help NYC
- Food Bank NYC
- Lemontree Directory
- Feeding America
- Find Help
- Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Food Pantries directory
- YourPeer
- This resource bank built by Councilmember Shekar Krishnan’s office with food pantries in the district: bit.ly/D25FoodHelp
Programs like CityMeals on Wheels help New Yorkers aged 60 and older who are unable to shop for or prepare their own meals.
Established food pantries, including First Baptist Church in East Elmhurst, which runs on Saturdays, are featured in directories like Find Help.
In Flushing, the South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS) food pantry specializes in culturally appropriate food like rice, lentils, flour and spice packs.
In Woodside, New Roots Queens, a community garden by and for neighbors in Woodside, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, is distributing free food every Friday.
In these and other Queens neighborhoods that make up Rep. Grace Weng’s 6th congressional district, there are several food pantries run by organizations such as the Flushing Jewish Community Council, Tzu-Chi Foundation and the Forest Hills Senior Center.
In Castle Hill in the Bronx, a vending machine dispenses free food as part of the “Good Food For All” program, Epicenter NYC’s frequent contributor Nicole Perrino of Bronx Mama reports.
Across the boroughs, NeON Nutrition Kitchen food pantries, an initiative of the city’s Department of Probation, offer free groceries, including fresh produce.
While these and other emergency food services fill immediate needs, systemic supports like SNAP, WIC (a separate program for women and children that has not been affected by the shutdown) and universal school meals are still key, advocates say.
“Emergency food and pantries should be the last resort,” said Michael Hurwitz, a food systems advisor and former director of food access and agriculture at GrowNYC. “People should have the agency to buy food for themselves — that starts with fair wages and equitable food access.”
Other government-funded nutrition programs still operating
- School Meals: While you or your child might be used to packed lunches, “school meals are an amazing support for families right now,” said Krista Hesdorfer, director of public affairs for Hunger Solutions New York. Every student in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program can get free breakfast and lunch — no applications, no questions asked.
- WIC: This federally funded and state administered program also remains active. However, WIC clinics (which coordinate food packages and provide nutrition education, breastfeeding support and referrals to other resources) across the city are operating at high capacity; call ahead for wait times. Growing Up Healthy Hotline: 1-800-522-5006
Families already enrolled in SNAP or Medicaid can use those approval letters to qualify for WIC without re-verifying income.
Who can help you find food or answers
- Hunger Solutions NY: This nonprofit anti-hunger organization is focused on maximizing the reach and effectiveness of federal nutrition assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, school meals and Summer EBT, or electronic benefits transfer, a debit-like card for distributing federal cash aid.
Find SNAP help near you here or WIC help here.
- Lemontree Food Helpline: Lemontree runs this helpline and offers people digital tools to find food assistance.
On its website and in messages to Epicenter NYC, Lemontree’s leadership noted that “due to the rising need for food, we’re experiencing a dramatic increase in volume of requests. We’re doing our best, but please expect longer response times than usual.” The group is accepting donations to help expand capacity.
- Lulo: This app (one of our community spotlights) helps families track WIC benefits, find verified food pantries, diaper banks, rent assistance, legal aid and more. It’s available in English and Spanish. Learn more and download the app here.
You can still apply for SNAP
Despite the delays in distributing SNAP benefits, the program is still open for new applications and renewals.
“What we don’t want is for people to think SNAP is closed,” Hesdorfer of Hunger Solutions said. Social services offices are still processing applications, she said, and your benefits are based on your date of application.
