MANCHESTER – The New Hampshire Food Bank is ramping up its fundraising efforts to address the anticipated statewide rise in food insecurity as the federal government shutdown persists.

With the shutdown directly impacting funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program providing monthly benefits to households to help them purchase food, the Food Bank is amplifying both its fundraising and its programming to ensure families and individuals have access to the food and resources they need. The Food Bank has already increased food distribution by 26 percent year-over-year to meet the growing demand.

The Food Bank is partnering with the state Department of Health and Human Services to distribute food to SNAP recipients at mobile pantries statewide and in designated partner agency sites beginning in November. The DHHS has received approval from the New Hampshire Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee and the Executive Council to support SNAP recipients during the federal government shutdown. Additionally, the Food Bank has launched a SNAP webpage providing information and links to resources to ensure those in need stay informed and up to date. For more information, please visit https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/food-meals-assistance/snap-and-wic-federal-shutdown-information.

“Despite these uncertain times, we remain steadfast in our goal to support New Hampshire residents and to fight food insecurity in all corners of our state. We recognize the crucial role the New Hampshire Food Bank and our strong network of more than 400 partner agencies play in reaching those in need across the Granite State, and our entire team is stepping up across our programming to ensure we’re prepared to meet the need,” said Food Bank Executive Director Elsy Cipriani. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with DHHS to help execute its SNAP contingency plan, which is critically important to the more than 77,000 New Hampshire residents currently receiving SNAP benefits.”

According to the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, about 5.5 percent of Granite Staters are enrolled in SNAP, which equates to about 42,000 households or 77,000 individuals. In addition to the impact on SNAP recipients, the government shutdown has left many federal employees in New Hampshire without compensation, further intensifying the need for increased food distribution.

As the Food Bank responds to the current circumstances, its team is hosting regular video calls with partner agencies to provide updates and gather real-time data on the number of people they are serving and their specific needs. The Food Bank is also expanding the variety of food choices available to partner agencies through its ordering portal. Additionally, the Food Bank is maintaining its regular schedule of mobile food pantries, which remain open to all neighbors, not just SNAP recipients.

The Food Bank provides an array of services, including Culinary Job Training, Mobile Food Pantries, the Nutrition Pantry Program, and SNAP Outreach and Application Assistance, among many others. In 2024, the Food Bank distributed more than 17 million pounds of food to its more than 400 partner agencies statewide. In addition to distributing food to all corners of the state, the Food Bank provides an array of programming designed to address the root causes of hunger.