SNAP Cuts Leave Food Banks Overwhelmed
- contactbehindthesh
- Sep 28
- 2 min read
Food banks are supposed to be a safety net. They help families struggling with food insecurity by providing direct access to food. Lately, however, many food banks in the United States are strained. A major reason for this is cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that was passed into law a couple months ago.
When the government reduces benefits, many people turn to food banks as a supplement. However, despite their great work, food banks were never built to take on that kind of pressure. They run on donations, volunteers, and immense teamwork, but there is only so much they can do. With the SNAP cuts, food banks are now suddenly facing much higher demand. As a result, staff are becoming overwhelmed, and they have to increasingly lean on donations.
This does not only affect food banks. It affects entire communities. Across the nation, food banks and other nonprofits are experiencing an increase in demand, coinciding with cuts to SNAP. “United Way” is a nonprofit organization that brings community members together during difficult times to inspire hope, with a large part of their work involving supporting food banks. According to director of basic needs at United Way, Jen Schuchart, the organization has experienced a 16 percent increase in calls related to food assistance and a 27 percent increase in calls related to SNAP thus far in 2025 compared to 2024 in the state of Pennsylvania. Furthermore, nearly 30,000 people in Southwestern Pennsylvania alone are projected to lose government food assistance as a result of government cuts.
The struggles of people and organizations in Pennsylvania reflect a larger, nationwide issue. Food banks across the country are seeing more people turn to them as SNAP benefits shrink. Since the cuts have taken effect, thousands have lost assistance at a time, and food banks, already short on donations and volunteers, must take on the added load. Meeting that need requires consistent community support and stronger networks to keep shelves stocked and food moving to the people who depend on it.
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