The droves of people who have visited some of New York’s food pantries in recent days have asked the same questions: How long is this going to last? Will you have food? How am I going to feed my kids?
Sister Betsy Van Deusen, who is head of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, heard all of these questions as the six food pantries served by her church braced for impact as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, froze Saturday. Mayors and governors across the country have pledged to supplement the missing federal assistance, while federal judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration should use contingency funds to keep food aid running despite the government shutdown.
