We are at a moral crossroads in this country. Millions of working families, children, and seniors are being pushed to the brink as our federal government threatens to cut SNAP—food support they depend on.  78,000 households receiving SNAP in Erie County alone will lose benefits as of November 1, 2025,  and the hardest impact will be felt by children.

 

In the richest country in the world no one should go hungry or be forced to choose between putting food on the table and paying for other necessities like rent, heat, and medicine. Food is a human right, not a political bargaining chip. 

 

Cutting SNAP isn’t just cruel—it’s bad economics. Every $1 in SNAP generates $1.54 in local economic activity. Reducing these benefits hurts families and communities.  A pause in SNAP benefits could put financial strain on the 16,000 NY SNAP Retailers, including grocery stores, bodegas and restaurants, resulting in potential layoffs.

 

This comes on the heels of the Trump Administration terminating the annual measurement of the prevalence of food insecurity (hunger) in the United States. This vital research on food insecurity has been used for over 30 years to guide food activists, policy makers and the public. With this data no longer being collected, the uncomfortable truth about how many children and families are going hungry will not be measured - and policymakers will not have the data necessary to respond to the crisis.

 

At the Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP), we believe everyone deserves access to fresh, healthy, and culturally meaningful food—no matter their income, race, ability, citizenship status, gender, or sexuality.

 

That’s why we work toward a more just food system through our programs that connect food access, education, and community empowerment. At our Mobile Markets and Farmhouse Market, we proudly accept a range of nutrition assistance programs, including SNAP, WIC, Double Up Food Bucks, FreshConnect, Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks, and our own Harvest Savings discount program. Recent and proposed cuts to SNAP threaten to deepen food insecurity for thousands of families in Buffalo and across the country. We remain committed to standing with our community and expanding access to affordable, nutritious food. 

 

Throughout the month of November, in partnership with the Buffalo Bills Foundation and Buffalo Public Schools, Buffalo Go Green and MAP’s Mobile Market will be popping up at Buffalo Public Schools Saturday Academies to provide up to $20 of free, fresh produce for those directly impacted by the halt in SNAP benefits. We are grateful for strong partnerships that allow us to support our community members.

 

We are also calling on Governor Hochul to allocate $700 million in state funds to cover SNAP benefits in November. New York State has fiscal reserves that must be tapped in order to stave off what could be one of the worst hunger crises we’ve seen in the United States since the Great Depression. 

In times of struggle, we look to our movement elders for support and reassurance. Martin Luther King, Jr. said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” At MAP, we are committed to dismantling systems of injustice through strong networks of mutuality. We will weather this storm together.