The region’s food pantries are preparing to meet the needs of Monadnock Region residents affected by the SNAP assistance benefits shutdown.
While the state is providing some emergency funding for mobile food pantries, local food pantries are anticipating higher needs in the next month or until the federal government shutdown is resolved.
As many as 76,000 New Hampshire residents are estimated to lose SNAP benefits as of Nov. 1.
Gloria Morison, director of the Peterborough Food Pantry, said her staff has already seen an increase in registration of new customers.
“Typically, we get four or five new customers registering with us in a month, and as of last Thursday, we already had 32 new registrations, and that was not even counting Friday,” Morison said. “From what we have seen, we are expecting the need to keep increasing.”
Morison said while food pantries are grateful for every donation, donors may not be aware of what kinds of donations are effective.
“Gift cards to local grocery stores are really helpful for us, because we can use those really quickly,” she said. “We are always grateful for cash donations as well, because they allow us to specifically fill those gaps we may have. ”
Because larger food pantries like Peterborough’s are run like small grocery stores, Morison suggests donors buy in bulk if they are looking for the most efficient way to help pantries keep their shelves fully stocked.
“Buying in bulk is great–if we receive a whole case of tomato sauce, it is much easier and faster to process than cans that are all different dates and types,” she said.
Morison said the pantry has to be careful of expiration dates, and will discard food that has been on the shelf too long.
“If you have something like a can of tuna, those last four or five years, so if it’s already expired, it could be who knows how old,” Morison said. “That said, tuna is a great thing to donate. We really are grateful for every donation.”
While the Peterborough Food Pantry does not accept diapers, they are always looking for personal care and hygiene products.
“Toothbrushes, shampoo, soap and body wash, and personal hygiene items are always really great. People are so grateful to see those,” she said. “And we are trying to figure out how we can maybe accept diapers in the future. They just take up a lot of space, and we just need to figure it out.”
Morison said Peterborough and other food pantries are looking for donations for the holidays as well.
“We have already had a much higher number of people register for turkeys,” she said. “We will probably need well over a hundred this year.”
Kathleen LaRou, director of the Jaffrey Food Pantry, said she, too, has seen a recent increase in the number of visitors to the pantry — which was about 50 families during the most recent Wednesday they were open, when usually about 30 is more typical.
“We are, as everybody is, concerned,” LaRou said. The Jaffrey Food Pantry is part of the New Hamphire Food Bank and the New Hampshire Food Bank Collective, and she said the groups have been holding virtual meetings to discuss the issue and how to approach it. “We’ve already seen an increase in people. I’ve never seen 50 [families].”
She said she’s also had an increase of people calling to find out how they can qualify to regularly use the pantry. In Jaffrey’s case, a person must prove residency in New Hampshire, and self-report their income level.
She’s also seen a corresponding level of response from the community, who knew that the pressure from SNAP benefits was likely to affect the pantry, LaRou said.
“The community has been unbelievable,” LaRou said. “It reminds me of COVID — they bond together, and they want to know what we need. We just loaded up the shelves again.”
The Jaffrey Food Pantry’s current wishlist is hot and cold cereals, coffee, canned tuna or other canned proteins, shelf-stable milk, meal helpers, mixed fruit and personal care products.
Erika Alusic-Bingham of Community Action Partnership for Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties said the loss of SNAP benefits will hit some of her clients especially hard.
“I am most worried about my senior citizens, my single moms–those people who rely on SNAP for all of their food in a month,” Alusic-Bingham said. “For some of my clients, their income is set, and there is no other money for groceries. SNAP provides all the food they get in a month. Every other penny they have goes to their rent, their heat, their gas so they can get to work or go to the doctor. They do not have any money left over for food, and SNAP fills that gap.”
Alusic-Bingham said that, despite misconceptions, it is extremely difficult to defraud federal programs such as SNAP.
“It is the federal government — they do a complete credit check; they see everything anyone has ever done financially,” she said. “It is very difficult and very time-consuming to qualify for this type of assistance. People who qualify for these programs really, really need the help.”
Kevin Little, Director of the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Greenville, said part of his role is to “keep people calm.”
“I know there is a lot of anxiety out there right now. Our role at the food pantry is to try to keep people calm, to let them know their needs will be met,” Little said. “We will help people who come to our food pantry, whatever their needs are, and we will do our absolute best for them.”
Little said he is grateful for the generosity of the community.
“When I look at what happens in this community on a daily basis, it is amazing. We have people reaching out, we have farmers donating food to us. One person just called up and said they have a cranberry bog in their backyard, and they invited us to come pick cranberries for our Thanksgiving food baskets,” Little said. “We have a wonderful, generous community, and we will get through this.”
The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry serves residents of Mason, Greenville, Temple, and New Ipswich.
For more information about New Hampshire food assistance, go to newhampshirefoodbanks.org.