SNAP benefits are currently disrupted. Here’s what to know and how to help.
- Announcements
UPDATE AS OF 11/3/25
The White House administration says it will comply with recent court orders and provide partial November SNAP benefits. The administration says it will release emergency funds, totaling roughly $5.25 billion, but will not supplement those funds in order to meet the full month’s need. To fully cover November benefits for the food assistance program, the federal government would need to spend upward of $9 billion, so there’s still a gap in what SNAP beneficiaries will be receiving. We do not know yet exactly when funds for SNAP recipients will be available for use on their cards.
11/2/25
Right now, hundreds of thousands of people in the Greater Philadelphia region do not have access to their SNAP benefits and are unable to purchase food.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that starting October 16, 2025, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be halted and not paid to Pennsylvania residents until the federal government shutdown is over. Because of this, two million Pennsylvanians are without essential food assistance and life-saving resources; in the Philadelphia region, nearly half a million residents are affected.
Food banks like Share Food Program have been bracing for a massive spike in need and are working around the clock to ensure our communities stay fed.
SNAP—colloquially known as food stamps—is the country’s largest anti-hunger program, providing nine meals for every one meal that places like Share provide. SNAP serves more than 40 million people in the U.S., nearly 70% of whom are children, older adults, and people with disabilities.
This recent halt in benefits without a doubt intensifies the existing hunger crisis. Estimates show that the need for emergency food assistance could increase ninefold while SNAP remains unavailable. In the almost 40 years of Share Food Program’s work, the challenges we face and the need for hunger relief have never been more dire.
Sadly, this disastrous disruption of SNAP benefits is occurring as hunger rates and grocery costs were already skyrocketing, and as food banks like Share are grappling with the loss of $8 million in federal funding and food resources—forcing everyone to do much more with much less. At Share, we’ve already seen a 120% increase in need for our services over the past three years.
The current PA state budget impasse is also stalling critical funding for vital programs like the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS), both of which help us purchase fresh food for our neighbors.
This moment is unprecedented, but Share Food Program is committed to providing food to everyone in need, with dignity and without disruption. We continue to coordinate emergency responses to meet the growing need and are in regular communication with our food distribution partners, advocates, elected officials, supporters, and the people we serve as this situation develops.
Share and the people we serve need community support and help more than ever. All hands on deck, to keep hunger off the plate.
Find Food Near You
🍏 Find a free food site or community fridge at sharefoodprogram.org/find-food/
🍏 Visit PA211.org or call 211 to find additional food options
Get Involved
🍎 Stock a community fridge
🍎 Start a food drive
🍎 Spread the word
Stay Informed
🍏 Join the Share Food Action network for advocacy updates and more ways to fight hunger
Recent News
🍎 Philadelphia Inquirer 10/31/25 A SNAP benefits freeze could mean food insecurity doomsday for the Philadelphia region
“Share Food typically serves 500,000 people each month. Amid the federal government shutdown, some pantries the organization works with are reporting as much as 12 times more new registrations over the course of the last two weeks,” Matysik said.
🍎 Penn Capital-Star 11/3/25 Effort underway to revive cancelled federal farm and food bank program in Pennsylvania
U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan said his proposal will be an important part of the Farm Bill 2.0 discussions. What do the Food Banks think? George Matysik is the executive director of Share Food Program in Philadelphia, a hunger relief organization that serves the five county region in and around Philadelphia. Some 305,000 children across 800+ schools are served daily through their work with the National School Lunch Program. He said they participated in the LFPA program over the past few years as demand has increased.
🍎 6abc Philadelphia 10/30/25 Pa. nonprofits sound alarm as SNAP benefits are set to expire
“Forty-two million Americans who are going to lose food on their tables,” said George Matysik, the executive director of Share Food Program, at a press conference with politicians and other advocates who spoke out against the suspension.
🍎 The New York Times 10/27/25 Hunger and Cold Loom as Shutdown Imperils Funding for Antipoverty Programs
The shutdown is compounding the challenges faced by the Share Food Program, a hunger relief organization in Philadelphia that already saw cuts to its federal funding, said George Matysik, the program’s executive director. Food banks are familiar with crises caused by natural disasters, he noted. “But we’ve never had to train for a crisis of our own federal government’s creation,” he said.
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About Share Food Program
Share Food Program is the leading hunger relief organization in the Greater Philadelphia region, working to eradicate food insecurity through food distribution, education, and advocacy. Through partnerships with over 800 schools and 360+ community-based organizations and partner pantries, Share Food Program feeds hundreds of thousands of neighbors in need each month.
To learn more and get involved, visit sharefoodprogram.org, or follow us on Facebook @sharefood and Twitter and Instagram @sharefoodphilly.