State nonprofit and local governments are providing assistance amid SNAP delays

Nov 04, 2025 -

The New York Health Foundation is providing $1 million in emergency funding for people using food stamps.

Three million New Yorkers receive help from the federal food assistance program known as SNAP. Full benefits are frozen due to the government shutdown. Following a court ruling, the Trump Administration said SNAP users will get half of the benefits they normally would as the shutdown continues. It warned it could be a while before people see the money, according to NPR.

The New York Health Foundation says its funding will be distributed by Propel, which connects about 400,000 New Yorkers to their SNAP electronic benefits (EBT). The foundation says it will send a $50 cash transfer to people who use the platform and receive the maximum SNAP allotment.

The funds will help provide immediate relief for people experiencing food insecurity, David Sandman, foundation president and CEO, said in a statement.

"The ripple effects of the shutdown are hurting more people every day. It is unconscionable to deprive the hungry of food assistance and force them to choose between eating, keeping the lights on, or paying rent. These dollars support the autonomy and dignity of New Yorkers so they can shop for food without relying on overwhelmed food pantries," he said.

Local relief

The Warren and Hamilton Counties Office for the Aging will temporarily provide additional meals for seniors as SNAP delays continue.

In Warren County, about 220 seniors participate in the home-delivery meal program.

Adults 60 and older can also visit congregate meal sites across both Warren and Hamilton counties. Those are open Monday through Friday. People who are younger than 60 are welcome at the meal sites, but are required to pay $12.25 for a meal.

Warren County's Department of Social Services says it's monitoring food supplies at local pantries.

The county is collecting non-perishable items at two of its buildings. Donation boxes are set up at the Warren County Municipal Center in Queensbury and the Warren County DPW in Warrensburg.

Warren County provides a free shuttle service for seniors 60 and up and veterans who need transportation to food pantries, grocery stores, or other errands.

The Potsdam Food Cooperative is also taking steps to help affected locals.

The Co-op has created a voucher program, where shoppers can purchase vouchers at $5, $10, $25 and $50. The Potsdam Neighborhood Center will distribute them.

"We are deeply committed to our mission of making healthy and local food accessible to our community," the Co-op's General Manager Jessie LaRose said in a statement. "Many of our shoppers, members and non-members alike, rely on SNAP and spend those dollars at the Co-op because they want to support our local farmers and feed themselves and their families nutritiously and sustainably."

The vouchers can be used to purchase food, along with necessities like toilet paper and menstrual products. They can't be used to purchase alcohol or CBD.