Broome County Declares State of Emergency in Response to Suspension of SNAP Benefits

Local Leaders and Community Partners Outline Food Assistance Resources for Residents in Need

(BROOME COUNTY, NY) - Broome County Executive Jason Garnar has declared a State of Emergency in Broome County in response to the federal governments suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Today, County Executive Garnar was joined by local leaders State Senator Lea Webb, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, City of Binghamton Mayor Kraham, Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar, and community partners from the Broome County Council of Churches - CHOW, Food Bank of the Southern Tier, and United Way of Broome County to address the ongoing uncertainty surrounding SNAP benefits and to provide important information on local food resources for residents in need.

Working with County Executive Garnar and our Broome County Attorney, Sheriff Akshar was able to reallocate $200,000 from a BCSO trust account to purchase emergency food for our local pantries.

"In times of crisis, our community always comes together, despite any political differences, to ensure our families have what they need," said Sheriff Akshar. "This funding was intended for public safety, but helping ensure no child goes hungry is an essential part of building a safer, stronger community. We need our leaders in Washington to follow suit and come together to ensure our communities don't go hungry."

According to the New York State Office of Temporary and Stability Assistance (OTDA):

"Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, November SNAP benefits may be delayed. SNAP benefits cannot be issued for November unless the federal government shutdown ends, or other federal action provides necessary funding. SNAP households will be notified by November 1, 2025, on the status of November SNAP benefits. Updates will be posted on the OTDA website, myBenefits, ebtEDGE, and through text messages to SNAP households."

If you receive SNAP benefits and do not yet see your payment pending in your account, please do not be alarmed. SNAP benefits are normally distributed between November 1-10, and there is still time for the federal government to resolve the funding hold and release funds to New York State for disbursement.

New York State has advised local districts to continue accepting all SNAP applications and to process recertifications for existing cases as usual. Once the Federal Government authorizes the release of funds, pending SNAP applications will be issued to clients' EBT cards promptly.

Please continue to:

• Keep your scheduled appointments
• Attend interviews
• Provide any requested documentation

Doing so will help ensure timely access to SNAP benefits once the federal hold is lifted.

Food assistance:

Residents in need of immediate food assistance can dial 2-1-1 to be connected with available food pantries, community meals, and other local support programs. Use the Food Bank of the Southern Tier's Find Food Tool to locate nearby food resources.

For a list of food pantries and community meal sites within the City of Binghamton, visit: City of Binghamton Food Resources. For a countywide list of food pantries and community meal sites, excluding the City of Binghamton, visit: Broome County Food Resources.

The Broome County Office for Aging would like to remind residents that Broome County Senior Centers offer hot lunches Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). The suggested contribution for a meal is $4.00 for individuals aged 60 and over and their spouse of any age. No one aged 60 or older will be refused a meal due to an inability or unwillingness to pay. Reservation must be made by noon the day before you wish to attend. Broome County's Senior Center locations can be found at https://broomecountyny.gov/senior/scc.

Transportation:

To ensure residents can reach available food resources, Broome County Transit is offering rides at no cost to food resource sites for SNAP recipients. Simply show your SNAP EBT card to the driver when boarding, and you can ride at no cost to and from any food access location in Broome County. In addition, the usual limit on groceries carried on transit vehicles is temporarily waived to make it easier for residents to pick up larger amounts of food. For BC Transit routes, visit https://broomecountyny.gov/transit/routes.

How to help:

Community members looking to support local food access programs can donate money, volunteer, or drop off non-perishable food items. Monetary donations can be made to CHOW, Food Bank of the Southern Tier, or United Way of Broome County.

Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off at CHOW (3 Otseningo Street, Binghamton) or the Food Bank of the Southern Tier (388 Upper Oakwood Avenue, Elmira).

Updates, food assistance resources, and ways to give or volunteer can all be found on Broome County's website at https://broomecountyny.gov/foodassistance.