ROCHESTER, N.Y. – As more than 135,000 people in the Rochester region feel the impact of the pause on SNAP, the Irondequoit community is stepping up to tackle food insecurity and to collect other essentials.
The Irondequoit Police Department and a local business are both accepting donations to help those in need and they’re off to a good start. One by one, people dropped off donations at Friday evening’s “Cops for the Community Cupboard Food Donation Drive.”
“Right now with holidays coming up and Thanksgiving there’s always a lot of food insecurity but especially with SNAP benefits being in question for so many. We just wanted to give back,” said Irondequoit Police Chief Scott Peters.
Uncertainty over SNAP and giving back were top of mind for many donating on Friday. SNAP, the nation’s largest meal assistance program, has been on pause since Nov. 1 because of what’s now become the longest government shutdown in history. The federal government says it will partially fund SNAP, but it’s not clear when recipients will see the money show up in their cards or how much they’ll get.
“We all know there’s been cuts in funding for Foodlink and the other food cupboards so as a community we should all come forward to be able to help people like ourselves to eat and not to have to worry about not having food on their tables,” said Tina Longwell and Mariceli Ortiz.
Chief Peters and Irondequoit Town Supervisor-elect John Perticone say thank goodness for the community. Pantries are busy and the need is great for all kinds of items.
John Perticone, Irondequoit Town Supervisor-elect: “Hats, gloves, that type of stuff too. We’ve been getting cases of dog food. Stuff that people didn’t really think of. It’s pretty amazing.”
This is not the only place accepting donations in the area. From Irondequoit to the northwest side of Rochester, there’s also a winter coat drive happening at Hooked Fish Market.
“It’s definitely a great need especially at this time right now with what our country is going through,” said Kenneth Rivers, the owner of Hooked Fish Market on Driving Park Avenue.
Rivers partnered with School No. 9 to help address the growing number of families having to stretch their dollars.
Kenneth Rivers, owner of Hooked Fish Market: “The community has been a big pillar in the drive. We need more but the community has been coming down and supporting the movement. It means the world to me.”
If you are interested in donating, they are accepting hats, scarves, gloves, and bookbags through Nov. 20. That’s the last day you can donate at Hooked Fish Market. They’re open from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
If you missed Friday’s event in Irondequoit, you can drop off donations at the town hall and library year-round. News10NBC also has a guide on where to donate across the region to help people facing food insecurity.
In addition, Foodlink, the Rochester-based regional foodbank that supports meal programs across 10 counties, is accepting donations of money to help buy food. You can donate through Foodlink’s website here. Foodlink is also teaming up with Wegmans for the “Check Out Hunger” campaign. Donations can be made at checkout and Foodlink can provide three meals for every dollar donated. Learn more here.
How to get help if you need a meal
Food pantries across the region are stepping up to provide meals to people in need. Some in Rochester include the People’s Pantry, Saint Andrew’s Good Cupboard, and Trillium Health Food Pantry. In Ontario County, the Canandaigua Salvation Army is providing meals. In Wayne County, people can visit the Finger Lakes Action Pantry. News10NBC has a list of food pantries across the region. See the list here.
What’s the latest on the fate of SNAP?
The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the government shutdown.
A judge had given the administration until Friday to fully fund the food assistance program. But the administration asked an appeals court to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund.
Instead, the administration will continue with planned partial SNAP payments for the month. Gov. Kathy Hochul is directing state agencies to issue full federal SNAP benefits for November.
More of News10NBC’s coverage
For weeks, News10NBC has covered how local food pantries have prepared for a pause to SNAP and are now stepping up. We’ve also spoken to local recipients about their worries. Here is some of our coverage:
In-depth look at how many people rely on SNAP across the Rochester region Some small businesses stepping up by hosting food drives and ‘take-what-you-need’ pantries How Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is preparing to meet demand of need for food Monroe County schools to hold food drive on Saturday as families face concerns over SNAP benefits Rochester Hope Food Pantry braces for surge in visitors as SNAP cuts loom Upstate NY businessman starts SNAP relief fund to help families impacted by potential benefit cuts Rochester SNAP recipient Marilyn ‘Tiny’ Diaz fears potential disruption to benefits Local school districts prepare food pantries in anticipation of families losing access to SNAP House of Mercy braces for influx of people in need as SNAP funding hangs in the balance Local food banks prepare for overwhelming demand as SNAP benefits hang in the balance Countdown until SNAP runs out: Small businesses express concerns Where to find help: Local resources available for families facing food insecurity due to government shutdown ‘It’s scary’: Local families worry about food assistance as government shutdown continuesIrondequoit Police collects food and local business collects coats as families face uncertainty WHEC.com.
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