Overview
- New November benefits have not been issued, leaving 360,000 Connecticut recipients without funds since Nov. 1 and driving doubled lines and new clients at mobile distributions.
- Calls to Connecticut’s 211 about food assistance have jumped roughly tenfold, reflecting the scale of need reported by pantries and food banks.
- A federal judge ordered the administration to use contingency reserves for full November SNAP allotments, while the White House appealed and floated partial or no payments.
- Connecticut put $3 million into Foodshare, a sum leaders say covers only a sliver of the gap as sites report empty shelves, rationed protein, and lunch services running out of food.
- Community efforts expanded across the region, with the Rhode Island Community Food Bank purchasing more than 800,000 pounds of food after an influx of donations and restaurants and retailers offering free meals or price cuts, including a 20% discount on groceries at Ocean State Job Lot.