Millions of New York families feeling pinch after COVID-era federal food assistance program ends

By Bill Parry Posted on March 6, 2023

Food pantries and community-based organizations across Queens and the city are ramping up efforts to relieve thousands of families who saw their federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits reduced on March 1.

More than 3 million New York families will have far less to spend on groceries after the emergency food assistance program that Congress enacted at the height of the pandemic has ended. Seniors are particularly vulnerable as they depend on Social Security as their primary source of income.