"Since 1854, Forestdale has stood as a pillar of support for families in Queens and Brooklyn. We were founded to serve families in crisis, and today, we continue that mission providing trauma-informed care, parenting support, and stability to thousands of families each year. But now, we face a crisis that threatens the very foundation of our community: the disruption of SNAP benefits."
"On Nov. 1, due to the ongoing federal shutdown, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which feeds over 42 million Americans ceased issuing benefits. In Queens alone, over 330,000 residents relied on SNAP in 2022. That number has only grown as inflation and housing costs continue to stress working families. For many of the mothers and children we serve at Forestdale, SNAP is not supplementalit is survival."
"The impact is immediate and devastating. Families are already reporting skipped meals, empty refrigerators, and impossible choices between food and rent. As one SNAP recipient wrote in The New York Times, $149.57 is going to have to feed my family indefinitely. That's not just a budgetary issue it's a moral one. This is not just a policy issue it's a humanitarian emergency."
Forestdale, founded in 1854, provides trauma-informed care, parenting support, and stability to thousands of families in Queens and Brooklyn. On Nov. 1, SNAP halted benefit issuance because of a federal shutdown, affecting over 42 million Americans and more than 330,000 Queens residents. Inflation and rising housing costs have increased reliance on SNAP, and for many families SNAP is survival rather than supplemental support. Families are reporting skipped meals, empty refrigerators, and impossible choices between food and rent. SNAP cuts destabilize communities by reducing economic activity; each SNAP dollar generates $1.54 and supports local grocers, bodegas, and farmers' markets. Forestdale is mobilizing additional aid but cannot meet the increased need alone.
Read at qns.com
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