ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Innovative Field hosted a countywide food donation drive on Saturday to help those impacted by the SNAP funding delay amid the federal government shutdown.
Donated items are going directly to Foodlink, the Rochester-based food bank that serves meal programs across 10 counties. From there, Foodlink will distribute the donations to food pantries and other nonprofits around the region.
Foodlink CEO Julia Tedesco says food drives like this are especially important in our region, where food insecurity is high. In the Rochester region, more than 135,000 people rely on SNAP, the nation’s largest food assistance program. That includes one in seven people in Monroe County.
“We have approximately 64,000 children in our region who rely on SNAP benefits who have most likely missed a meal over the past ten days,” Tedesco said. “So it’s critically important that we come together to do community food drives, to donate funds to make sure there’s an emergency fund network that can meet those needs. It’s a band-aid, but it’s a necessary band-aid to make sure people are fed and their basic needs are met.”
The food drive went from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has paused full SNAP payments since Nov. 1 because of the shutdown. The Trump administration says it plans to partially fund SNAP with its contingency funds. In addition, Gov. Kathy Hochul has directed state agencies to issue full federal SNAP benefits for November.
Other upcoming food drives and ways to donate
Several food drives are happening in the Rochester area to address food insecurity now that full SNAP payments are on pause. You can see a list in this story.
Foodlink is also accepting donations of money to help buy food. You can donate through Foodlink’s website here. In addition, Foodlink is teaming up with Wegmans for the “Check Out Hunger” campaign. Donations can be made at checkout. 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?
Nearly three million people across New York State haven’t gotten their full SNAP benefits since Nov. 1, because the U.S. Department of Agriculture paused payments amid the government shutdown. However, businesses are still required to accept any remaining benefits.
The Trump administration says it plans to partially fund SNAP after multiple judges ruled that the government must use its emergency contingency funds rather than pause payments. However, it’s unclear when the money will actually show up on people’s cards and how much they’ll get.
One judge had ruled that the administration must fully fund SNAP, but the U.S. Supreme Court blocked that court order on Friday. The Supreme Court ruled that the government isn’t responsible for using more money besides what’s available in its contingency funds.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has directed state agencies to issue full federal SNAP benefits for November. Her office said in a statement that New Yorkers should have access to benefits starting Sunday.
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 continuesCommunity comes together to donate food at Innovative Field amid SNAP uncertainty WHEC.com.
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