Gov. Josh Shapiro took legal action this week to sue the Trump Administration for unlawfully suspending the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Without immediate action from the White House or the Republican-controlled Congress to reopen the federal government, November SNAP payments will not be made to Pennsylvanians. In Pennsylvania last year, approximately 714,000 children and 697,000 seniors relied on SNAP every month. The program pays out more than $366 million in federal food assistance funding each month. These are costs the commonwealth cannot back fill. There are several resources available to assist individuals and families that may be experiencing food insecurities. Below is a list of resources available.
PA 211: If you need to connect with resources in your community, but don’t know where to look, PA 211 is a great place to start. The United Way offers help finding food assistance as well as other services such as help with utilities bills, housing assistance, after-school programs for kids, and more. You can dial 211 or text your zip code to 898-211 to talk with a resource specialist for free. Specialists will listen to your needs and give you information on programs in your community that might be able to help.
Pennsylvania Food Pantries: This web page lists the Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger-Free Pennsylvania member food banks offer food assistance services in each county through a network of nearly 3,000 local charitable partners, including food pantries, soup kitchens, feeding programs, and shelters. Please contact your local food bank directly for assistance or to find out how you can help support their mission.
Feeding PA: Feeding PA is neither a food bank nor a food pantry. Instead, they work in the background, cultivating agricultural partnerships, securing funding, working with lawmakers, and helping folks on the front lines to ensure access to nutritious food for all Pennsylvanians.
Hunger Free Pennsylvania: HFPA, in partnership with its network of 18 Food Banks serving all 67 counties, represents one of the largest charitable food distribution networks in Pennsylvania. HFPA collaborates with state and federal governments and other nonprofit organizations to ensure food security for all Pennsylvanians.
PA Navigate: PA Navigate connects Pennsylvanians with health and social care services in their local community. Find help now with food, housing, utilities, transportation and more by entering your zip code.
Food Assistance Programs in PA: Food and nutrition are essential to good health and overall well-being. For families, it’s often a decision between food or other critical needs such as childcare, utility bills, or medication. A hungry child cannot learn to their full potential. Access to healthy food is more important than ever to help keep vulnerable populations healthy and mitigate co-occurring health risks. If you or someone you know is in need of food assistance, the government-funded programs below are available and can help to connect you with the food resources you need.