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Gov. Maura Healey asked restaurants, farms and grocery stores to donate food during the looming benefits suspension. MASSACHUSETTS — Gov. Maura Healey made a plea for donations to the United Way and local food pantries, as well as urging restaurants, farms and grocery stores to donate surplus items, as the state prepared for the looming suspension of SNAP benefits on Nov. 1 amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. Healey once again demanded that the Trump Administration release what she said is $23 billion in available contingency funding to extend the program during the shutdown. Attorney General Andrea Campbell was also set to be in federal court on Thursday seeking an order to force the federal government to fund the program. Gov. Healey Blasts Looming SNAP Benefit Cutoff, Plans For Contingencies MA SNAP Benefits Won't Go Out In November, Officials Confirm SNAP Benefits In Jeopardy In MA Due To Government Shutdown, New Fed Rules MA Attorney General Campbell Sues Trump Administration For SNAP Funding Freeze "This is a moment for coming together in our state," Healey said, "to support our neighbors, our coworkers, the people we see at daycare, the people we see at church. There are folks all among us who are SNAP recipients who are going to be impacted this weekend. "So, for anyone who has the means to help, I encourage you to do so. And to those of you who are headed into this weekend with tremendous anxiety, know that we will do everything that we can to help you and your families." Healey on Thursday also pledged $4 million in state funding to support food banks during the coming days and weeks. The Salem Pantry Executive Director Robyn Burns said in a statement that, through a collaboration with the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Pantry will bring in more than 15,000 pounds of additional food per week to serve those in need on the North Shore. The Salem Pantry will also be increasing hours and adding additional volunteer help to serve an estimated 250 more families weekly. The analysis of USDA Food and Nutrition Service data by the non-partisan research group that focuses on federal and state policies to reduce poverty and inequality shows that 1.1 million Massachusetts residents use the SNAP program. That's 16 percent of the state population (1 in 6) who depend on benefits to keep food on the table. More than 1.1 million Massachusetts residents receive SNAP benefits — 32 percent are children, 26 percent are seniors, and 31 percent are people with disabilities, according to the Healey administration. Healey said a "SNAP Respond Hub" resource page on the state's website was launched on Thursday to provide resources for those affected. She said more than $1 million in donations has come in to help the food service providers in recent days and that "businesses are also important allies at this time." "If you run a farm, a grocery store, or a restaurant, look, I know many of them are already working to help our friends and neighbors," she said, "but know to those people there are actually food recovery organizations who specialize in taking excess food and getting it to people in need." Residents facing immediate hunger due to lack of SNAP benefits are advised to call or text Project Bread's Food Source Hotline at 1-800-645-8333 to receive information about food resources in their area or talk with a Project Bread counselor. The hotline is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents can still access WIC and school meals. The federal government shutdown began on Oct. 1 after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running. The Senate rejected the Republicans' proposal, which fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance the bill. Democrats insisted the resolution reverse the Medicaid cuts in Trump's mega-bill passed this summer, and extend tax credits for health insurance premiums through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. (Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)
