You may have heard the news about SNAP not being available to recipients beginning in November, due to the federal budget impasse. We’ve been getting lots of questions at The Open Link about this issue, so I wanted to share what we know.
First, SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The acronym replaced the term food stamps about 30 years ago, but it is essentially the same program. It provides an EBT card that can be refilled each month and used at a grocery store similar to a debit or credit card. However, unlike cash, credit or a debit card, there are many key characteristics of the SNAP program (USDA, 2025).
1) You must meet the income eligibility requirements. These are determined by the Federal and State poverty guidelines. For instance, in PA a family of four cannot make more than $5200 per month (gross) to qualify. While that may seem like a lot of money, when you factor in taxes, rent at an average of $1800 per month, utilities that have risen 10% in the last twelve months and childcare, which averages about $1000 or more depending on the age of the child, it does not go very far. The average SNAP allocation is about $220 per month of $7 per day per person.
2) SNAP benefits are limited to certain foods and do not cover other household needs. While you can buy fresh fruits, veggies, proteins, and non-perishable foods at your local grocery store with SNAP, you cannot buy hot foods like rotisserie chicken. SNAP also does not cover non-food essentials like diapers, medicine, pet food, cleaning supplies or hygiene items.
3) SNAP benefits have specific rules for eligibility. SNAP benefits have work requirements for most adults from 18 to 65, unless you have a medical waiver, are taking care of children under 6 or an incapacitated person, participating in a recovery program or studying in a school or training program. Many of the requirements for eligibility have recently changed, so it is important to check with providers like The Open Link if you currently receive SNAP. It’s important to note that 80% of people on SNAP are children, seniors and the disabled.
SNAP is the number one way to prevent hunger in America. For every 9 meals SNAP provides, pantries can provide ONE. For every $1 that SNAP recipients receive, $1.40 is returned to the local economy.
That said, as of October 16, 2025, the program was halted in Pennsylvania, due to the federal budget impasse. Most SNAP recipients obtained their benefit for October, so the impact of this shutdown will truly be felt at beginning of November, when most benefit recipients typically have their cards reloaded. Beginning in November, every Pennsylvanian who receives SNAP will NOT receive their monthly allotment.
Pantries, food shelves and food banks were originally created for two reasons – to meet needs in an emergency and to responsibly provide people in need with excess food and would otherwise go to waste. Over time, with the significant cuts to SNAP and the significant increase in grocery costs (and the cost of everything else) the charitable food system has changed to one that is supplemental to SNAP and to people’s income shortages. The Open Link saw more clients than ever before even before the SNAP stoppage, and we will struggle to keep up with demand once November arrives.
At the Open Link, 65% of our pantry clients already receive SNAP. A particularly high percentage of our SNAP recipients are over the age of 60. They have come to rely on this program because they are living on fixed incomes that are not keeping up with inflation, the cost of medical care and housing.
Right now, 62,871 people in Montgomery County receive SNAP benefits. With the SNAP stoppage, The Open Link, like all pantries in Montgomery County, are preparing for an onslaught of need, starting next week. We are doing all that we can to prepare, including being open two times per month for consumers and opening Tuesday evenings, but are going to be extremely busy especially at a time when we would already experience greater need with the holidays coming up.
If you need FOOD during this time, please contact The Open Link so that we can get you food, schedule you for the pantry and connect you with other pantries in the area – 215-679-4112.
While the pantry system cannot replace SNAP long-term, there are many ways that we can pull together to meet this urgency right now, including:
1) Donate to The Open Link or your local pantry. I know, it seems like money is the answer to every call to action, but in this case, funding specifically for the pantry will allow us to purchase meat, fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk and other high-quality nutritious foods that people normally purchased with their SNAP dollars. We can refrigerate and store these items, we just need funds to purchase them.
2) Participate in the Scouting for Food Drive on November 15. This is our largest food drive every year collecting more than 12,000 pounds of food last year alone. By leaving your bag on your doorstep that day, Scouts can pick it up and bring it directly to the pantry.
3) Host your own food drive. With our Food Drive Tool Kit, we can provide boxes, lists of the most needed items and possibility a pick-up time if the drive is large enough.
4) Order items from the wish lists. We have a variety of items on our Walmart, Target and Amazon wish lists that are needed in the pantry. You can order them from the comfort of your couch and they will be shipped directly to The Open Link, usually within 24 hours.
5) Volunteer during this busy season. We always need great volunteers, but this year in particular, we could use help from those who can lift 25 lbs., pick-up items from our grocery partners and food drives and help separate items coming in.
6) Call your Representatives. If you believe, as we do, that the ability to have enough to eat is a basic human right and not something to be debated about, please call your State and Federal representatives so that they know your views.
