The most immediate effects of the national crisis involving federal food benefits may be settled for the moment, but for millions of Americans — including many on the South Fork — the need for help remains high.
Worryingly, nearly 1 in 10 beneficiaries of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, could lose the lifeline permanently in the coming years, according to estimates. This is thanks to President Donald Trump’s megabill, which includes new work requirements, cuts to eligibility for refugees, and pressure on states to take on a share of the cost of the program. Under the megabill, too, the age limit for work requirements was raised from 54 to 64 for able-bodied adults without dependents; exemptions were also eliminated for homeless individuals, veterans, and young adults who were in foster care when they turned age 18.
Adding to the pressure, the United States has grown increasingly reliant on foreign food. Nearly all seafood, around 60 percent of fresh fruit and around 40 percent of vegetables are imported. Because of this, food prices driven higher by the president’s tariffs have only deepened the crisis. Speaking about prices generally on one of the Sunday shows, Secretary of Commerce Scott Bessent, who has a South of the Highway house in Water Mill, suggested that people who were struggling should consider moving to red states, where inflation was half a percent lower than in blue states.
Responding to the White House’s fecklessness, grassroots food pantries have had to do more, in some cases with help from state and local governments. But for the most part, private money and donated supplies must fill the gap. On the East End, where the cost of living is already sky high, the community outpouring has been substantial, but the work of assuring that everyone has enough to eat is never done. In ways small and large, those willing and able to give have a variety of options. These include modest donation boxes at grocery stores and libraries, as well as individually stocked Little Free Food Pantries set out in public places.
Businesses have also rallied, with big checks — like Landscape Details’ recent $6,000 plus 350 turkeys and chickens. Saunders Associates real estate is running a GoFundMe drive in which contributions will be matched one to one. Mandala Yoga in Amagansett hosted a contra dance in support of Amber Waves Farm’s soup program after it was hit by cuts in federal spending. The Town of East Hampton authorized $30,000 in emergency grants to food pantries. The annual polar bear plunges in East Hampton and Wainscott raise tens of thousands of dollars in mere minutes as participants race into and out of the surf as quickly as possible, their entry fees helping to augment food pantry coffers.
Monetary contributions can be especially effective because food pantries can buy groceries at wholesale or reduced prices, while people donating canned goods, for example, generally pay retail. Giving Tuesday comes up next week. We encourage readers to consider helping the hungry with as much generosity as they can.