As SNAP benefits hang in the balance, Medford unites to keep residents fed

By Sangmin Song

Medford officials and community organizations are preparing for a possible lapse in federal food assistance that could leave thousands of households without support.

Across the city, faith groups, food pantries and volunteer networks are stepping up to meet what could soon become a surge in demand.

The effort comes as funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is expected to lapse Saturday if the federal government shutdown continues. SNAP supports thousands of Medford residents, and if benefits stop, local food pantries and donation networks could face an unprecedented rise in need.

In North Medford, Pastor Brenda Bennett, of Community Baptist Church, said her congregation is preparing for families who may soon lose food assistance by keeping the church’s outdoor micro-pantry “extra stocked.”

“North Medford is a food desert, and the crisis is now getting so much worse that [our support] is not enough,” she said. “We had a general meeting on Sunday, and we all agreed we’re going to go the extra mile, whatever it takes.”

Bennett said the church is preparing for the possible lapse in SNAP benefits while also grappling with rising food costs that have strained its budget in recent months. She said the church recently applied for a grant to help buy additional supplies and keep the pantry stocked through the winter.

“I put in an application for a grant for the local Baptist churches, so hopefully we’ll get another couple of thousand dollars to boost our coffers,” Bennett said. “I’m hoping we get this grant, which will give us a bit of incentive to produce even more opportunities to shop.”

As the church expands its efforts, it continues to rely on help from local residents like Daniel Smith. Smith moved to Medford after 40 years in Norwood, where he regularly donated to his local pantry, and soon began doing the same at his new community.

He said his donations might seem small, but consistency matters.

“The total capacity of the pantry is three or four bags’ worth of groceries, and it empties out practically daily,” he said. “I don’t know how much is that compared to the need, but community efforts are not useless, and they’re more than a drop in a bucket.”

To make the most of limited resources, Bennett said, Community Baptist Church works closely with other groups and food programs across Medford. The network routinely shares donations and redirects perishable items to churches that can store and distribute them safely, she said.

“Medford has a very good multi-faith connection, and we coordinate wherever we can,” Bennett said. “We take donations, and if something isn’t right for us, we refer it to another church that can use it.”

Across Greater Boston, organizations that bridge food recovery and redistribution are also bracing for a surge in demand. Food Link, a nonprofit that rescues surplus food and delivers it to more than 100 community agencies, has begun hearing from pantries asking for extra deliveries ahead of a possible lapse in SNAP benefits.

“We’re hearing from agencies sort of in anticipation of Nov. 1, asking if we can increase our deliveries — either increase the amounts of food that we're giving or add another delivery throughout the week,” program director Alex Kramer said. “So I think everyone’s sort of bracing themselves for a huge increase in need.”

Help is needed across all communities as organizations brace for the possible loss of federal food aid, Kramer said. She urged residents to support local food programs and reach out to lawmakers to push for emergency funding.

“Community members can both try to support financial or food donations to their local organizations while also contacting lawmakers and trying to urge them to use the rainy day funds,” she said. “Both doing sort of the advocacy piece, and supporting your neighbors directly or supporting a local organization helps.”

At City Hall, officials convened the Medford Food Security Task Force Wednesday to coordinate an emergency response ahead of the possible lapse.

“The city is closely monitoring the potential impact of a SNAP benefit lapse,” wrote Steve Smirti, Medford’s director of communications. “The mayor asked an emergency meeting…to confirm current food resource information, develop a plan to share it broadly and discuss how we can best support our food-serving organizations during this time.”

As residents, faith groups and nonprofits brace for the days ahead, Smriti noted the city will continue monitoring developments at the state and federal levels and share updates as soon as they become available.

“We are also keeping close watch on developments at the state level and will share any updates with our partners as soon as they become available,” Smriti wrote.

Sangmin Song is a senior journalism student. This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford and the Boston University Department of Journalism.