The East Hampton Town Board will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to vote on a resolution authorizing an emergency appropriation of $30,000 to local food pantries, due to the continued shutdown of the federal government.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits have been suspended by the United States Department of Agriculture starting Saturday, resulting in a sudden loss of critical food assistance to residents of East Hampton and elsewhere around the country.
The East Hampton, Montauk, and Springs Food Pantries will each receive $10,000 from the town.
"In light of the immediate and extraordinary circumstances created by the federal suspension of SNAP benefits, the town board finds it necessary to provide financial support to ensure that local food pantries can continue to meet increased demand for food assistance," reads the resolution.
The money will come from a fund line, "Federal Aid - Nutrition" that is mostly funded (90 percent) by the federal government. The town's 2025 budget had $90,000 in expected revenues for that fund line, according to Rebecca Hansen, the town administrator, but the town has already received $132,000.
