Context:

Recent reductions in federal food assistance programs, notably SNAP, are expected to exacerbate food insecurity in the U.S., placing immense pressure on food banks and pantries. Feeding America, a major player in hunger relief, generated nearly 6 billion meals last year, yet SNAP still provides significantly more food aid. The new legislation reintroduces work requirements for able-bodied SNAP recipients, which the White House argues are commonsense. With a surge in hunger, food banks are overwhelmed and may need to rely on philanthropic partners to cope with the increased demand. Despite their efforts, organizations acknowledge that their contributions cannot fully substitute the scale of SNAP assistance.

Dive Deeper:

• The recent legislative changes signed by President Trump reduce federal food assistance, affecting millions of food-insecure Americans and straining the capacity of food banks across the country.

• Feeding America, one of the largest hunger relief organizations, provided nearly 6 billion meals last year, but SNAP remains a critical source of food aid, offering nine meals for every one distributed by Feeding America.

• The new legislation mandates that able-bodied SNAP recipients engage in work, volunteer activities, or classes for a minimum of 20 hours per week, which the White House claims are sensible requirements.

• Food banks and pantries, already operating at full stretch, are faced with a daunting increase in demand, as demonstrated by the record-breaking 46 million visits to New York City's City Harvest last year.

• Catherine D'Amato of The Greater Boston Food Bank anticipates needing additional support from philanthropic partners to manage the rising demand for food assistance amid these cuts.

• Evan Ehlers, CEO of Sharing Excess, acknowledges the limitations of food bank efforts, recognizing that they cannot fully replace the comprehensive aid provided by SNAP.

• The changes to SNAP and the resulting pressures on food banks highlight a growing gap in the social safety net, leaving many Americans vulnerable to hunger and food insecurity.