With more than 155,000 residents across the Finger Lakes and Western New York facing a sudden halt in food assistance, Foodlink is stepping up with a massive emergency response.
The Rochester-based nonprofit announced Friday that it will inject over $1.5 million in additional food into the regional emergency system during November and December — a 150% increase over this time last year — to help offset the impact of paused Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
“While we can’t fully replace the support SNAP provides, we’re doing everything we can to respond to the urgent need we’re seeing across the region,” said Julia Tedesco, President & CEO of Foodlink.
A surge in need and a scramble for help
The pause in SNAP benefits, which starts November 1, has driven a surge in demand for food assistance. Visits to Foodlink’s “Find Food” webpage have tripled in October compared to the same time last year — with more traffic this past week alone than in the previous three combined.
Local agencies are already feeling the pressure…