Food banks, already strained, brace for prolonged demand

"Lift carts whiz around corners and dart down long aisles, where 30-foot steel shelves full of boxes tower above. Beeping and buzzing, they push pallets of bananas and beans, canned goods and condiments to loading bays where trucks load up and deliver the food to local food pantries. With the holidays approaching, it's high season at the Greater Boston Food Bank. But this year is even busier than usual."

"A spike in demand from the recent reduction in SNAP food benefits has yet to abate, even though most SNAP payments have resumed. And many expect the need for emergency food will continue to climb. "This is just the beginning," says warehouse lead Adrian James, driving out of the cooler with another full pallet. "Who knows how bad it could get. That's the scary part." GBFB staff have been scrambling to keep up."

"CEO Catherine D'Amato says she's focusing on fundraising, hoping to buy more food, and is trying to "sustain as much as possible for as long as possible." But, she says, "This is not a matter of one and done." The GBFB is just one of many food banks and pantries around the nation feeling the strain, with no expectation of a reprieve anytime soon."

"Even if they catch up from this month's funding crisis, the Trump administration's Big Beautiful Bill Act is set to shrink federal SNAP spending by billions of dollars over the next couple of years. At the same time, federal cuts to other safety net programs like Medicaid, affordable housing and health insurance subsidies are expected to compound the pressure on food banks and pantries that provide produce, meat, dairy and dry goods to millions of low-income U.S. residents."

Lift carts move through a busy Greater Boston Food Bank warehouse where pallets of produce and dry goods are prepared for local pantries. A recent reduction in SNAP benefits caused a spike in demand that has not abated despite most payments resuming. Staff and volunteers are scrambling to meet higher emergency food needs during the holiday season. GBFB leadership is prioritizing fundraising to purchase additional food and sustain operations. Anticipated federal cuts to SNAP and other safety-net programs, including Medicaid, housing and insurance subsidies, are expected to further increase reliance on the charitable food sector.

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