Food Security Crisis Temporarily Avoided - SNAP Update

Delaware has declared a state of emergency to allow state funding for SNAP recipients on a temporary basis. SNAP benefits were set to end at the close of October due to the federal government shutdown. A lack of SNAP benefits would have created a crisis for recipients and organizations like LCS. We are grateful to the Delaware General Assembly and the Governor for taking this action. 

- 117,000 Delawareans—11% of our state's population—rely on SNAP - benefits
- 60,000 households face food insecurity
- 45,000 children are at immediate risk

Thousands of families who never needed emergency food would have turned to pantries like ours with nowhere else to go, in order to feed their families. 

Gov. Matt Meyers

- Dramatically increased demand—longer lines, more families waiting
- First-time visitors who never imagined needing help
- Unprecedented strain on our LCS staff, volunteers, and financial resources
- Families forced to stretch every meal, skipping portions so children can eat

Here's the hard truth: Food pantries provide supplemental support, not full replacement. For every nine meals supplied by SNAP, pantries can provide only one. Even with heroic effort, the charitable food system cannot bridge this gap alone. 

• This state funding is a stopgap measure.
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• If the federal shutdown does not end in November we could be right back here again next month. And even with this funding, we are likely to see increased demand due to the other effects of the government shutdown.
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• Whether you can donate funds to stock our shelves, volunteer time to serve families, organize a food drive in your community, or contribute non-perishable items—every form of support ensures no one is turned away empty-handed. Help us prepare for the next emergency. Please make a donation today—every dollar matters, and every meal counts.

Together, we can ensure our neighbors have food when they need it most.

Thank you for standing with LCS in this critical moment.