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During a span of 43 days in 2025, 42 million families with lower incomes, including children and seniors, questioned where their subsequent meals would originate. The largest anti-hunger initiative in the country, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), was put on hold due to the government shutdown in the fall, marking the first occurrence of such a pause since its establishment in 1964.
However, updated SNAP regulations broaden the criteria for individuals required to work to demonstrate their eligibility, including veterans, the homeless, and adults aged 54 to 65, who were previously exempt. The enforced 20-hour weekly work obligation will also disproportionately affect individuals employed in sectors that have suffered significant job losses, as well as caregivers and those with disabilities.
Experts in the field of food security assert that the stricter regulations will lead to increased food insecurity, remove financial resources from communities, and compel state governments to find ways to manage the expenses while tightening their financial plans.
Keith McHenry, engaged in food equity efforts since 1980, finds that the struggles he encountered in the past are alarmingly comparable to those faced today. He helped establish Food Not Bombs, a volunteer-led mutual aid network with around 1,000 chapters globally; as a volunteer-driven structure, the actual number could be much larger. Each chapter offers complimentary food to their communities, no questions asked, collaborating with food banks, farms, and local grocery stores.
He argues that the situation has reached a pivotal moment because Americans who were not affected before can no longer ignore the issues present within our food systems. “We’re facing such a disaster that nearly everyone knows friends or family dealing with food insecurity,” says McHenry.
Why Community Serves as Our Most Reliable Safety Net
Yet, there is ample food available for all. This nation is home to 45,575 supermarkets and a thriving restaurant sector generating $1.5 trillion in revenue in 2025, yet access to food has become increasingly challenging. Despite its significant $260 billion revenue from grocery operations alone, Walmart is among the primary employers of SNAP and Medicaid recipients in the nation; some employees struggle to purchase groceries from their employer. In 2023, 18 million households in the US faced food insecurity, an increase from 17 million in 2022. In September, the government opted to discontinue the annual food insecurity survey altogether.
Per Feeding America, 92 billion pounds of food are wasted every year: 38% is either unsold or uneaten, and over 51% originates from the food service sector. Twelve percent of the American populace receives SNAP assistance to acquire fresh produce, meat, and other uncooked grocery products with their benefits, but it remains inadequate.
To assist SNAP recipients in making ends meet, charitable organizations and community pantries are working to bridge the gap. Deliveries of pantry essentials and even hot meals are provided for lower-income families through 501c3 organizations like Meals on Wheels. Nevertheless, these organizations are competing for government funding that is not guaranteed. When Trump’s Agriculture Department slashed $500 million from the Emergency Food Assistance Program (also known as TEFAP) last year, food banks nationwide received fewer supplies of domestically produced vegetables, meat, and dairy.
Even when conditions are favorable, these resources fall short of providing all that individuals require, such as hot meals, vitamins, and meal supplements. Certain states limit access to items considered luxuries, such as candy and soda. The programs can also be complex to navigate, involving extensive paperwork to validate eligibility for food access.
“Food is a right, not a privilege,” asserts McHenry, mentioning that increasingly more people have been inquiring about how they can contribute to help every day—not only during a SNAP crisis. Mutual aid organizations like Food Not Bombs are taking the initiative to ensure daily food availability in their communities, welcoming participation from everyone.
Mutual Aid in Action
“How can you determine if a person is worthy of food?” inquires Kathryn Nolan from South Philadelphia Community Fridge. “Nothing should warrant earning it. There is no moral evaluation. If you’re a human being, you are entitled to it at all times.” Nolan is often seen driving in the early hours to areas with food excess and delivering it to one of the organization’s fridges and pantries, filled with groceries for anyone in need. “The reality is, more than half of Americans are just one emergency away from becoming homeless.”
