Resources For Getting By Without SNAP
Charlotte Shao ‘26
SNAP logo via Wikimedia Commons
As of Saturday, Nov. 1, dependents of multiple federal food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) have found their benefits delayed due to the current government shutdown. These programs typically help low income households, seniors, the disabled and other groups in need put food on the table.
The current government shutdown began on Oct. 1, 2025 after Congress failed to pass a budget for the 2026 fiscal year due to partisan disagreements over federal spending, foreign aid assistance programs and healthcare subsidies. Congress has been at a stalemate for over a month, with neither side seeming willing to budge. The United States Department of Agriculture has stated that they will not be issuing payments on Nov. 1, urging Democrats to end the shutdown if they want payments to resume.
According to Forbes, Rhode Island District Judge John McConnell and Massachusetts District Judge Indira Talwani both ruled this past Friday, Oct. 31, that the Trump Administration could not block SNAP benefits. McConnell ordered that $6 million in funds appropriated for SNAP by Congress be used to provide at least partial benefits to Americans. Trump has asked White House lawyers to ask the courts to clarify how the funds can be used legally for SNAP, as his administration has argued previously that the funds are reserved for events like natural disasters. McConnell has also ordered the government to identify other funds that could supplement SNAP until a proper funding bill can be passed. Most recently, McConnell has ordered the Trump administration to pay full benefits for Nov. by this Friday, Nov. 7, according to CNBC.
In the meantime, states are already moving to try and fill in the gap. According to CBS New York, Governor Kathy Hochul has ordered $40 million in emergency state funding to go to the Hunger Prevention and Nutritional Assistance Program, which partners with more than 2,700 emergency food providers. Of that, $25 million will go to Nourish New York, which ships surplus farm goods to food pantries. Governor Hochul has also urged schools and after-school programs to send kids home with as much extra food as possible. USA Today reported on Oct. 30 that another $65 million of emergency state funding has been approved to help with food assistance, bringing the total state funding up to $106 million. However, this does not get close to the $650 million New York State receives each month in SNAP funding, meaning that at least three million SNAP beneficiaries will still be left with little to no food until proper funding is restored.
If you or someone you know stands to lose SNAP benefits, here’s what you can do to bridge the gap until benefits come back. One suggestion is to rely more heavily on local food pantries. If you have not been to one in Yonkers yet, here is a list of a few near Sarah Lawrence’s campus.
Nodine Hill Community Center - MFP at 140 Fillmore Street, Yonkers: take the 25 bus from Kimball Ave and Midland Ave to Ashburton Ave at Yonkers Ave and walk about 0.3 miles south to the Nodine Hill Community Center.
Yonkers Cap Food Pantry at 164 Ashburton Ave Ste 2, Yonkers: take the 25 bus from Kimball Ave and Midland Ave to Ashburton Ave and Vineyard Ave and walk about 0.1 miles west to the Yonkers Cap Food Pantry.
Stepping Up Yonkers - Angel Food Pantry at 77 Walsh Rd, Yonkers: take the 25 bus from Kimball Ave and Midland Ave to Ashburton Ave and Palisade Ave and walk 0.3 miles south to the food pantry.
There are more options in Mount Vernon, though they are more accessible if you have a car. The Yonkers Public Library also runs a food pantry, which you can call 914-337-1500, ext. 427,428 for more information.
Meals on Wheels America is available to seniors, who can sign up via the organization’s website. Feeding Westchester also runs a mobile food pantry; check out their website https://feedingwestchester.org/ to find out where it stops and when. Their website can also help you locate more food pantries in the area.
If you are seeking assistance directly on campus, Sarah Lawrence College also runs a food sharing space and a meal swipe request system. If you need a meal swipe, please email the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) with your name and ID number, and they’ll grant you more swipes (studentdeib@sarahlawrence.edu). The food sharing space is now in the Slonim House kitchen, upstairs on the second floor and is run by the Graduate Studies program. It is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and contains mostly non-perishable goods. A food drive will be held Nov. 19, and students with the means to donate are encouraged to give what they can, whether it is pantry goods or gift cards to local restaurants or grocery stores. For more information, please contact the Graduate Studies Office (gradstudies@sarahlawrence.edu).
These resources are only a stopgap. Food banks have already been seeing an increase in demand following the strain COVID-19 put on Americans, according to CBC News. It is also unlikely that states will be able to continually fund food assistance programs and food banks on their own if the shutdown continues. It is not likely that these resources will be sufficient if the shutdown lasts past Nov.
The lack of funding does not mean that SNAP recipients should stop asking for benefits. The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance of New York State says that SNAP beneficiaries should continue to complete all requirements, and anyone in need of SNAP should still apply, even if they may not receive benefits right away. They also say that Public Assistance benefits will still be available. Unused benefits on SNAP cards should roll over from October, according to CBS.
Regular funding should resume once the shutdown ends.
