Tens of thousands of low-income Pennsylvanians — and thousands of Adams County residents — face food insecurity and hunger as the federal government’s budget cuts and ongoing shutdown ripple through the nation’s food assistance network.
The massive Public Law 119-21 (“Big, Beautiful Bill”), signed on July 4, 2025, reduced federal nutrition funding by an estimated $186 billion over ten years, representing the deepest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the program’s history. Now, with the federal government shut down, even the reduced benefits that remain could be delayed beginning this weekend.
SNAP provides monthly electronic benefits to help low-income families buy groceries. Nearly 1.9 million Pennsylvanians — about 15 percent of the state’s population — rely on SNAP. About 86 percent of those benefits go to households that include children, older adults, or people with disabilities. In Adams County, roughly 5,000 households depend on the program.
Benefits are calculated using the federal Thrifty Food Plan, which estimates the cost of a modest but nutritious diet. The July 4 law freezes the Thrifty Food Plan’s growth, limiting future updates to inflation rather than reflecting real food-price increases. Analysts say that will steadily erode SNAP’s purchasing power, particularly in rural areas where groceries already cost more.
The new law expanded the “able-bodied adults without dependents” (ABAWD) work rule, raising the age limit from 54 to 64. Those who do not work or attend job training at least 80 hours per month can receive SNAP for only three months in a three-year period.
It is expected that the changes will remove about 2.4 million people nationwide from SNAP rolls once fully implemented, including an estimated 70,000 Pennsylvanians.
At the same time, Pennsylvania will soon have to cover up to 15 percent of benefit costs and as much as 75 percent of administrative expenses, costs that have historically been paid entirely by the federal government. Lawmakers warn that could shift millions of dollars in new expenses to Harrisburg.
SNAP benefits are expected to end entirely in November. The Trump administration said it would not tap the SNAP emergency contingency fund, imperiling benefits starting Nov. 1 for nearly 42 million Americans who rely on the nation’s largest anti-hunger program. In any case, the USDA contingency reserves can fund only a part of monthly benefits, meaning states will be forced to delay or ration payments.
If that happens, Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services warns that families will turn to emergency resources like food pantries, community meal programs, and school “backpack” programs to make up the gap.
Adams recently complete a report on food security challenges in the county.
Adams Non-profits Respond to the Crisis
The Adams County Food Policy Council met this week to coordinate a local response.
“Number 1 on our list is to ask the community to support its food pantries. We know that many more people who stop receiving their SNAP dollars will be directed to our local food pantries,” the council said in a statement. “Thanks to local donors that provided funds to all of the food pantries and backpack programs in the county, we’re in a better place — but food pantries are going to be taxed beyond their ability to feed everyone who needs to be fed.”
The Adams County Community Foundation recently provided grants to all county food pantries and backpack programs, and WellSpan Health donated $275,000 to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank to bolster local supplies.
Officials are urging community members to help in this time of need. Food or monetary donations can be made through the SCCAP or New Hope Ministries websites. The United Way of Adams County is collecting donations through its “Bag the Bounty” campaign, with food drop-off boxes at more than 50 locations across the county.
Donations are also needed for school backpack programs, which provide weekend meals to children who might otherwise go hungry.
For those still eligible for SNAP, Healthy Adams County offers the Fruit and Veggie Bucks program — providing a 50 percent discount on produce at Kennie’s Markets from October through May. SNAP participants can apply for the program at any Kennie’s customer-service desk.
The following is a list of non-profits that provide direct food donations who are participating in the 2025 Adams County Community Foundation Giving Spree to be held on Thursday.
#10 Adams County Farmers Market
#21 Adams Rescue Mission
#27 Camp Nawakwa
#49 Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen
#64 Holiday Family Outreach
#66 John’s Meals (Upper Adams Christians Together)
#83 New Hope Ministries
#88 Ruth’s Harvest — Gettysburg
#89 Ruth’s Harvest — Littlestown
#91 Salvation Army — Gettysburg Unit
#92 SCCAP (South Central Community Action Programs)
#105 United Way of Adams County
#106 Upper Adams Food Pantry
Food advocates say the combined effects of the funding cuts and the shutdown are pushing vulnerable Pennsylvanians closer to crisis. Please help now.
More information on local programs and donation opportunities is available at www.adamsfoodpolicy.org.
Please click here for a list of local food pantries.