Press Releases

With FeedMore Already Seeing Historic Levels of Utilization, New Red Tape and Shifting of Expenses to States Threaten to Cost New York State Billions and Leave WNY Families Hungry

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Congressman Tim Kennedy, joined by FeedMore WNY President and CEO Tara Ellis, warned that the recently passed Republican reconciliation law threatens to take food off the table for hungry Western New Yorkers. In Kennedy’s district alone, more than 139,000 individuals receive SNAP, including over 49,000 children, nearly 20,000 seniors, and more than 12,000 who are disabled. The more than $337 million in SNAP funding delivers an economic impact of nearly $520 million. According to the Urban Institute, families in New York State who receive SNAP would see an annual monthly reduction of $190, blowing a hole in the grocery budgets of struggling families and pushing even more need onto nonprofit organizations like FeedMore. The legislation not only hurts families, it also is an enormous unfunded mandate on states and local governments, shifting up to 25% of food costs to states and raising administrative costs from 50% to 75%.

“It is a travesty that in the wealthiest nation on earth, Congressional Republicans are balancing tax cuts for billionaires on the backs of those who are struggling to put food on the table,” said Congressman Kennedy. “Food is not a luxury, it’s not a privilege - it’s a right. From seniors trying to stay in their homes to families needing to provide breakfast and lunch during the summer months, these are our neighbors, our friends, our family members. It’s time for Congressional Republicans to stop playing games with the nutrition of tens of millions of Americans and cancel these immoral cuts.”

“FeedMore WNY served 165,722 individuals in 2024,” said Collin Bishop, Chief Communications Officer for FeedMore WNY. “That was a 16% increase from the previous year. Over the last three years, the number of people receiving nutritional assistance through FeedMore and our partner organizations has increased by 46%. With the reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation’s first line of defense against hunger, FeedMore anticipates the number of people we serve each year will grow even more.”

"The intentional damage being done to American families because of these cuts is another example of targeted cruelty. Aiming to negatively impact working Americans will only make people sicker, poorer, and less safe,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Despite what is being said about cutting waste from the federal government, it's obvious that these cuts are purposeful, targeted attacks on our most vulnerable citizens, including countless Western New York residents who deserve to live lives of dignity and quality. It’s an unconscionable travesty. I proudly join my colleagues today in speaking out against it.”

Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “The federal government’s decision to slash funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is both short-sighted and dangerous. Nearly 3 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP to put food on the table, and as prices climb and poverty deepens, this vital program is more essential than ever. From 2021 to 2023, nearly a million households in our state faced food insecurity. As of March, about 1.75 million New Yorkers received SNAP benefits. These figures represent real people faced with extraordinarily difficult choices in how to feed their loved ones. These cuts will only make life harder for working families, children, and seniors already on the brink. We need to strengthen the safety net, not pull it out from under those who need it most.”

"Organizations like FeedMore are a lifeline for lower-income individuals and families struggling with food insecurity, which amid this affordability crisis is becoming the reality for more and more households,” said Assemblyman Bill Conrad. “As Americans, we ought to be able to agree on certain core principles, one of which is that no one should have to go hungry. This administration's cuts to the institutions and programs we hold most dear - public education, subsidized healthcare, nutrition assistance - are devastating and unconscionable, especially because they ensure direct harm to our most vulnerable neighbors. I stand with Congressman Kennedy in his fierce repudiation of this erosion of our national values and neglect at the federal level of the government's duties to its people."

“Cuts to the SNAP program strain every part of our community,” said Erie County Legislator Lawrence Dupre. “Local nonprofits, like FeedMore WNY, are being pushed to the brink trying to fill the gaps for communities in need, and local and state governments are forced to stretch already limited resources to meet basic needs creating holes in budgets. In a region like ours, where far too many families rely on SNAP, these cuts are both evil and shortsighted.”

"Families across our nation will go hungry because of the cruel cuts to SNAP in the recently passed megabill,” said Buffalo Common Council Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope. “While the White House and Congress have no problem handing over billions in tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, struggling families and hungry children are not given the same priority. The fact is SNAP is not a handout but a lifeline for millions of struggling families. I stand with Congressman Kennedy in fighting to restore this essential funding to keep our children and families fed and healthy."

"It’s unconscionable that the White House and Congress are cutting SNAP funding at a time when more families are struggling with the rising cost of groceries and facing food insecurity,” said Masten District Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart. “While well-off MAGA lawmakers pat themselves on the back for cutting taxes for the ultra-wealthy, struggling families in Western New York and beyond will go hungry. Whether it’s tax breaks for billionaires or cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, the reality of this legislation is that it’s One Big Ugly Betrayal of the American people. I thank Congressman Kennedy and FeedMore WNY for calling attention to this injustice and fighting for food security for Americans in need."

"Food access is critical in order to have a healthy community,” said Pastor George Nicholas, CEO of the Buffalo Center for Health Equity. “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a way that we as taxpayers can support our neighbors who need a helping hand. SNAP is a key to fight chronic disease in urban and rural neighborhoods with high rates of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and other preventable illnesses. Cutting SNAP is cruel as well as bad policy that will eventually add to health care cost in our poorest communities"

SNAP is a federal program that helps provide food assistance to low-income people and families to help purchase food and meet nutritional needs. In FY24, 41.7 million people, or 12.3% of the US population, received SNAP benefits. On average, there have been more than 40 million program beneficiaries each month. New York counties administer the program, but eligibility standards and benefit levels are established by the USDA and based on household size, income, and other factors. USDA estimates that every $1 spent generates $1.54 in economic activity. 42 million Americans who depend on SNAP to put food on their tables will see their benefits cut, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors aged 60+, 4 million people with disabilities below age 60, and 1.2 million veterans.

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