Between January and mid-October 2025, calls to local 211 helplines from people seeking food pantries in their community held steady at nearly 1,000 calls per day[1].
But as the government shutdown entered its fourth week in late October, states began to warn residents[2] that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program[3] benefits, sometimes known as food stamps, would likely be affected. Nearly 42 million Americans receive SNAP...