Ahead of November 1 SNAP Freeze, Governor Healey Launches New SNAP Resource Hub

Ahead of November 1 SNAP Freeze, Governor Healey Launches New SNAP Resource Hub 

Governor Healey advances $4 million to local food banks for November 

United Response Fund has raised $1.3 million in one week 
 

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today provided an update on efforts to support families who will be impacted by President Trump’s decision to freeze SNAP benefits beginning November 1^st and outlined additional ways that Massachusetts residents can help their neighbors in need.  

The Governor launched a new SNAP Resource Hub at Mass.gov/SNAPFreeze that includes information on how families facing hunger can get help, ways for people and businesses to offer help, and a new digital map showing how many people depend on SNAP to feed their families in each Massachusetts city and town. 

Governor Healey, in collaboration with the Legislature, is also advancing previously planned payments to food banks and local organizations to help them provide food to families in need during this freeze. The Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance program (MEFAP) currently provides $4 million to food banks per month. To help them meet the anticipated increase in demand, Governor Healey is advancing an additional $4 million of these existing resources appropriated in the state budget for November, bringing the monthly total to $8 million. 

“Starting Saturday, more than one million Massachusetts residents and 42 million people nationwide will be at immediate risk of hunger because President Trump is freezing SNAP benefits. These are children, seniors, people with disabilities and veterans. They are your friends, family and neighbors,” said Governor Healey. “Massachusetts is a place where people step up when their neighbors are in need, and I want to make sure that people who need help know where to get it, and that those who want to help know what they can do. We are glad that we are able to advance this funding that we secured with the Legislature to help our food banks meet the needs of our communities during this challenging time, and we thank everyone who has already contributed. President Trump needs to release the billions of dollars in USDA funds that he is holding back and could use to continue SNAP.” 

“Making this funding available to local food banks and marshalling our resources will make a real difference for families that President Trump has cut off from food assistance,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “I applaud the Governor for taking this action and am deeply grateful to every organization stepping up at a time when Republicans in Congress have made clear they are willing to let this needless harm fall on our residents.”  

“As President Trump cuts off food assistance for tens of millions of Americans who receive SNAP benefits, including one million people in Massachusetts, the Commonwealth is stepping up by providing support to impacted families through previously appropriated funds to food banks and local organizations that serve our most vulnerable residents,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “Given that SNAP benefits are entirely funded by the federal government, it is impossible for state government to replace them, which is why we continue to call on President Trump and Congressional Republicans to back down from their sweeping health care cuts and reopen the government.”  

“For families facing an abrupt loss in food assistance, this relief comes at a critical time,” said Marty Martinez, President and Chief Executive Officer at United Way of Massachusetts Bay. “We’re seeing early support from donors, and our neighbors are counting on us to meet the unprecedented need. We will continue to mobilize resources to bridge gaps in assistance, ensure access to food, help nonprofit organizations adapt and expand to meet the increased need, and foster partnerships to provide a swift, coordinated regional response.” 

“These are troubling times, yet I see the compassion of our citizens. When faced with challenges – the SNAP crisis – Massachusetts citizens step in and step up to help their neighbors,” said Tim Garvin, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Central Massachusetts. “In one week, organized locally by all 13 United Ways in Massachusetts, more than one million dollars was raised to support children, veterans, people with disabilities, working families and seniors. I see people come together to help, I am so very proud to be part of the Commonwealth.” 

“If you need help, please know you are not alone, we have a durable emergency food system is here in Massachusetts that can provide you and your household with immediate support,” said Catherine D’Amato, President and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank. “Amid all this uncertainty, one thing is clear, food is a basic human right, hunger is a non-partisan issue, and we will be here every day for our neighbors in need, until hunger no longer exists.” 

“The stress of not having enough to eat is real – it’s physical – and nobody should face it alone. Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline exists to provide accurate information and immediate, compassionate support to Massachusetts residents,” said Erin McAleer, President and CEO at Project Bread. “Whether it is finding a local food pantry, a community meal, tips to stretch a grocery budget, or assistance with SNAP applications, we are here to help everyone in the Commonwealth get through the challenging days ahead.”  

Last week, Governor Healey and the United Way announced a new statewide effort to support Massachusetts residents whose SNAP benefits are at risk due to choices made by President Donald Trump. The United Response Fund is rapidly providing resources to trusted community-based organizations and local food pantries. In one week, the Fund has raised $1.3 million. This includes $400,000 committed by United Way organizations in Massachusetts. 

United Way of Massachusetts Bay will start distributing funding beginning on Friday. For example, funding will help the Salem Food Pantry expand food distribution at their Market and Mobile Pantry locations, enabling them to serve more households. 

Governor Healey also appealed to businesses to join in these efforts. For example, the company r4 Technologies has committed to donate 10,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables to Massachusetts food recovery organizations. Businesses with surplus food and hunger relief organizations in need of food are encouraged to register and list themselves on MassGrown Exchange, a free service that allows users to list as available or post a need for wholesale-level products, services, or equipment. 

Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline provides free, confidential support to all Massachusetts residents experiencing food insecurity in 180 languages, available year-round. Call or text 1-800-645-8333 or visit www.projectbread.org/get-help for more information. The SNAP Resource Hub also includes more information about how people can contact their regional food bank if they are in need of food or want to help. 

The Governor’s new digital map shows that hunger exists in every Massachusetts city and town. Users can search by municipality to see how many of their neighbors will be impacted by the SNAP freeze and identify where their help is needed most. 

More than 1.1 million Massachusetts residents rely on SNAP to afford food – 32 percent are children, 26 percent are seniors, and 31 percent are people with disabilities. 21,000 SNAP recipients in Massachusetts are veterans, meaning almost 1 in 10 veterans and their families could go hungry. Additionally, over 5,500 farms and grocery stores take SNAP and depend on those revenues. 

Earlier this week, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell co-led a coalition of 25 other states in suing the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its Secretary Brooke Rollins for unlawfully suspending SNAP. The USDA has billions of dollars in SNAP-specific contingency funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of continuing SNAP during a shutdown, including a $23 billion in Section 32 funds. Every other presidential administration has used this funding to continue SNAP during shutdowns, but President Trump is choosing not to.