SNAP freeze looming: Mass. pushes extra money to food banks, encourages charity

Millions of dollars will be distributed to food banks across the state as more than 1 million Massachusetts residents are facing the loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, Gov. Maura Healey announced Thursday.

SNAP cuts are currently on track to kick in Saturday due to the government shutdown. More than 1 million Massachusetts residents will be affected, of which 32% are children, 31% are people with disabilities, and 26% are older adults.

Healey said the state is releasing $4 million from the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provides funding directly to the Greater Boston Food Bank and distributes it to other food banks and pantries.

The governor also urged residents who have the means to help to donate to local food banks or through the United Way, and has posted resources for those in need on a special section of the state’s website.

“If there is one thing I know about Massachusetts, it’s that we take care of people. We help people where we can, and this is certainly a time. I am sorry that we are at this moment in our country’s history, but I know we can be strong and be resilient,” Healey said. “If you are worried right now about how you are going to feed your family, how you are going to feed your kids, please call Project Bread. Please reach out. You are not alone.”

A coalition of Democratic-run states is suing the Trump administration to force the release of $5 billion in contingency funds for the program. A full month of SNAP costs the nation about $8 billion.

During a Thursday hearing, Judge Indira Talwani said that a ruling could be expected within the day, and she appeared to be leaning toward siding with the plaintiff states.

SNAP is a federal nutrition program managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that helps provide food assistance to low-income families. Approximately 42 million Americans benefit from the program, which was formerly known as food stamps.

Info: How you can help those in need

Democratic lawmakers have also been calling on the administration to use roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep food aid flowing into November, but the idea was rejected by the Department of Agriculture and the Trump administration, which argued it does not have the power to use the funds to cover the SNAP program.