You may have seen recent stories about changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP. The changes are complicated, they are taking effect at different times, and the rules can be difficult to follow.
NPR recently published an article explaining the latest changes to SNAP and what they could mean for the program and the people who rely on it.
But what does all of this mean for Heart, Love & Soul and the people we serve?
Before we look at the changes themselves, it is worth taking a step back and asking a more basic question:
Why would someone who receives SNAP also need a food pantry?
For many people, the answer may not be as obvious as it seems.
What is SNAP?
SNAP is a federal nutrition assistance program that helps eligible households purchase food. The amount a household receives depends on factors including household size and income. For most households, SNAP is intended to supplement the resources they already have available for food—not necessarily cover the entire cost of feeding a household.
That distinction is important.
Someone can qualify for SNAP and still struggle to afford enough food each month.
A household may have income from employment, Social Security or another source and still have very little left after paying for rent, utilities, transportation, medical expenses and other necessities.
SNAP can help make the grocery budget go further. But when that budget runs out, people may need additional help.
That’s where food pantries like ours come in.
Why would someone need SNAP and a food pantry?
It can be easy to assume that someone receiving SNAP should have enough food.
In reality, SNAP and food pantries often serve different but complementary roles.
A person may use SNAP to purchase groceries and visit a food pantry to supplement those groceries. A family may find that their SNAP benefits do not last until the end of the month. Someone whose income changes from month to month may need additional help during a particularly difficult period.
For someone experiencing homelessness or housing instability, having SNAP does not necessarily eliminate the need for emergency food assistance either.
The important thing to understand is that receiving SNAP does not mean someone has all the food they need.
Our pantry helps fill that gap.
Who receives SNAP?
SNAP recipients are not one single group of people.
They include working families, older adults, families with children, people with disabilities, people whose employment or income is inconsistent and people experiencing difficult financial circumstances.
Some people may be temporarily relying on SNAP after losing a job. Others may work but earn too little to comfortably cover their basic expenses. Still others may have fixed incomes and rising costs that leave little room in their monthly budget.
Our guests come to us for many different reasons.
What they have in common is a need for food.
So what is changing?
This is where the recent changes become particularly important.
Beginning October 1, 2026, the maximum SNAP allotment increased. For example, the maximum monthly allotment for a household of one is now $306, while the maximum for a household of four is $1,023. Actual benefits vary based on each household’s circumstances.
At the same time, other changes to SNAP are affecting eligibility.
In New York, expanded federal work requirements took effect statewide on March 1, 2026. Certain adults ages 18 through 64 without a child under age 14 may be subject to requirements involving work, volunteering, training or other approved activities. Generally, affected individuals must complete at least 80 hours per month to continue receiving SNAP beyond the applicable time limit, unless they qualify for an exemption.
There are exemptions, and the rules can be complicated. That’s why it is important not to assume that every SNAP recipient will be affected in the same way.
What could this mean for our guests?
This is the question that matters most to us.
If some of our guests receive less SNAP, lose their benefits or have a more difficult time maintaining eligibility, their need for food does not disappear.
They may simply need to find that food somewhere else.
For some, that could mean visiting a food pantry more often. For others, it could mean relying more heavily on family, friends or other community resources. Some may have to stretch their food further or make difficult choices between food and other household expenses.
And that raises an important question for HLS:
What happens when the need for food increases but the resources available to a household do not?
What could this mean for our pantry?
This is the part we will be watching closely.
If changes to SNAP result in more people needing emergency food assistance, HLS could see:
- More people visiting our pantry
- Guests visiting more frequently
- Households needing more food
- Greater demand for staple foods
- Increased need for food donations and food purchasing
- Additional pressure on our food supply, volunteers and staff
We don’t yet know exactly what the impact will be.
That’s why we will be paying attention not only to the policy itself, but to what we see happening in our pantry.
Are more guests coming to us?
Are guests telling us they have lost or reduced SNAP benefits?
Are people coming more frequently?
Are households needing more food than they did previously?
And are there particular groups of guests who appear to be affected more than others?
These are the questions that will help us understand the real-world impact of the changes.
SNAP and our pantry work together
SNAP and emergency food programs are not replacements for one another.
SNAP helps eligible households purchase food. Our pantry provides food directly to people who need additional assistance.
For many of our guests, these resources work together.
A household may use SNAP to purchase groceries while also relying on HLS to help fill the gaps. That is not a contradiction. It is an example of how different parts of the food safety net can work together to help a household get through the month.
That is why changes to SNAP matter to HLS.
When one source of food assistance changes, the effects can eventually be felt at the pantry door.
Our guests are more than statistics
For HLS, advocacy starts with listening.
We see the people behind the numbers every day. We hear about the challenges people face and see how changes in one part of someone’s life can affect another.
That firsthand experience gives us an important perspective.
As SNAP changes take effect, we will continue listening to our guests, tracking what we see in our programs and sharing what we learn.
Because understanding a policy is only the first step.
We also need to understand what that policy means for the people who are standing in line at our pantry.
Read NPR’s full article: NPR — SNAP benefits program October change funding
Media Contact Information
Michael Jones
Director of Communications, Advocacy, and External Affairs
Phone: 716-282-5687 Ext. 111
Email: m.jones@heartloveandsoul.org