Editor's Note: This article was written prior to the end of the 2025 government shutdown on November 12th. Since the reopening of the United States government, SNAP benefits and program funding have been restored. However, the food insecurity crisis continues as new legislation creates additional funding restrictions for food assistance programs. As mentioned in a separate Spectrum submission sent in by Mikayla Gleeson, these delays in food access still impact a family's ability to budget meals -- and even with a restoration the solution would only be temporary until SNAP benefits once again hit the chopping block.
By Echo Brady
The recent reduction in the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits is prompting concern among recipients, food pantries, and other local non-profits. The reduction is having direct and immediate impacts on families in the Nyack community. Although SNAP benefits increased during the Covid pandemic, the post-pandemic-era saw these additional benefits reduced. The reductions are being magnified by the recent government shutdown. Being funded through the federal budget, SNAP and SNAP recipients are impacted as implications of the shutdown delay and reduce these food assistance payments. As households receive smaller monthly allotments, more families are turning to other resources such as school and community based support systems for help.
Jessica Hinojosa, the Family Resource Coordinator (FRC) at Nyack High School, said the cuts are having ripple effects throughout the school district. “We see families who are undocumented and don’t qualify for SNAP reaching out, but we’re also seeing single-household families whose SNAP benefits have been cut in half,” said Hinojosa. The reduction of SNAP is forcing families to stretch their food budget and often seek help from food banks. Families, often working jobs with limited flexibility, and trying to make ends meet, struggle with securing unpenalized time off of work in order to go to a food pantry. This can lead to hard working families losing their jobs only to face even more food insecurity. Hinojosa and all the FRCs across the Nyack School District are stepping in by going to these food drives, picking up food, and delivering food directly to these families.
Faced with limited income and/or malnutrition issues, children, seniors, and people with disabilities are disproportionately affected by these cuts. SNAP cuts are not only harmful to families, but they also create economic harm, putting added strain on many nonprofits that already work to alleviate food insecurity. While SNAP benefits have consistently proven to fight against poverty and improve food security, its impacts are hindered due to being underfunded. With recent cuts and the benefits not keeping up with inflation, SNAP on average gives families less than $1.40 per person per meal. Even with SNAP benefits, roughly 50% of families are still facing food insecurity, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
In response to the increased need, the Nyack School District held a meeting with the local community and FRC staff to discuss how to support the families impacted by the cuts. A major result from this meeting was the creation of a district wide food drive, known as the “RedHawk Food Drive” which will distribute donations directly to Nyack families in need. This response was immediate following the recent federal government shutdown. Additionally, the district has also sent out a mass communication with details regarding other available resources.
Hinojosa emphasized that the issue goes beyond economics, “I think it's harmful because, on a human level. People want to be able to trust their government,” she said. “When there's a government cut on something like food, it can cause a lack of trust.” Hinojosa also addressed common misconceptions about SNAP recipients, with many people assuming most people on SNAP aren't working or aren’t U.S. citizens. This is not true. Hinojosa stated, “if people took the time to see how many working families are on SNAP, they’d be alarmed.” According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 74% of SNAP participants who can work secure a job within 12 months. This number rises to 89% when looking at a 25 month period. Hinojosa explained that many families who never expected to need assistance are now applying for SNAP for the first time, commenting that job loss can happen to anyone. She also notes that access to food is a “human right” and "every child deserves food, bottom line”.