SNAP Funding Restored as Government Shutdown Ends

Harrisburg, PA: The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (CPFB) is relieved that the federal government shutdown has come to an end. Over the past several weeks, the charitable food network has been inundated with Pennsylvanians seeking emergency food assistance as a direct result of the federal shutdown. While resumed federal funding to anti-hunger programs is welcome news, the difficult reality remains that we still face a deepening hunger crisis.

Within the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s 27-county service territory, more than 390,000 individuals rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed their families. In October, many neighbors were alarmed to learn that their November benefits would not arrive and turned to our network for assistance. As the shutdown extended into November, food pantries – already addressing higher demand and food costs — rose to the occasion to ensure that no one went hungry.

The spike in demand was significant:

• CPFB saw a 67% increase in SNAP recipients during the first week of Nov. compared to the same period last year.
• CPFB experienced a 26% increase in visits from non-SNAP recipients in the first week of Nov.
• There was a 65% increase in new households seeking to access food bank support in the first week in Nov.

Despite the shutdown ending, we anticipate the need will continue to grow into the winter months. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is able to navigate this ongoing hunger crisis thanks to generous donations from the health care community and thousands of other businesses, organizations and community members who stepped forward to help our neighbors in need. With one in eight Central Pennsylvanians, including one in six children, experiencing food insecurity, sustained and reliable funding is essential to meet the growing needs of our communities. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is committed to advancing relationships with congressional offices to ensure that anti-hunger initiatives remain a strong and enduring national priority.

About the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank:

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (CPFB) is a nonprofit organization with a mission of fighting hunger, improving lives, and strengthening communities. It provides meals for nearly 268,000 neighbors each month, by working with nearly 1,000 partner agencies and with the critical help of volunteers who contribute over 73,000 hours annually. CPFB’s bold goal is to provide access to enough nutritious food for everyone struggling with hunger in each of the 27 central Pennsylvania counties it serves by collaborating with its network and convening and nurturing partnerships to make progress toward ending hunger.