The safety net they counted on vanished.
Millions of people who had received federal food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, recently found themselved locked out. Hitting home were federal funding cuts, as well as tightened eligibility rules and expanded work requirements that were approved in 2025 and took effect in April.
So hordes of people with depleted cupboards descended on food pantries, which were already strained after years of increasing demand. Multiple Northeast Florida food assistance programs have as much as doubled their food distribution and are seeking public donations to keep up…