CHILI, N.Y. — Foodlink hosted its annual member conference in Chili, drawing 200 partners to discuss challenges faced in 2025 and plans for the year ahead. The organization, which serves 10 counties, reported a 40% increase in people needing food assistance last year across the region.
Officials said there were 1.8 million food assistance visits in 2025, up from 1.3 million two years prior. News10NBC’s Erin Mahon attended the conference to hear from food pantry leaders on how they’re doing after last October’s government shutdown.
Keith Scott, who runs the Northside Church of Christ Food Pantry and Meal Program in Rochester with his wife, said, “We started out one day a month. Now we’re at four days a month distributing food.”
Scott explained that the increased demand during the shutdown continued into the new year, prompting them to maintain additional distribution days. “As long as God provides the volunteering and help — we’re doing it,” said Scott. He added, “Naturally we have concerns because we don’t know how long the shutdown is going to last or how long this war is going to go on and the effects it’s going to have, but through God, all things are possible so we’re trying to push through.”
Scott mentioned that Foodlink and Target supply enough food for their community, but the challenge lies in having enough volunteers.
In Wayne County, Norma Snyder, coordinator of the Lyons Community Food Pantry, said they are managing well due to community support. “We did really well because we did dip into our holiday food storage, but we also saw a huge outpouring of donations,” said Snyder.
Snyder shared that they serve between 250 and 300 people a month. To ensure they have enough supplies, Snyder said, “I’ve been on the Foodlink shopping list — every day. We have fliers out to local businesses, like ‘these are some of the things that we could use.’ I’ve been applying for grants through different organizations to make sure that we’re able to supply more items to more people.”
Foodlink representatives and pantry leaders expressed concerns about the effects of the government shutdown, changes in SNAP benefits, and the war in Iran on families. Rising gas prices impact how much money households have to spend on food.
New SNAP eligibility requirements went into effect on March 1, with a 90-day grace period for compliance. Visit your county DHS website for the latest updates on your status.
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