By Karen Pellicano, Community Health Case Coordinator
“Hunger is not a problem. It is an obscenity. How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank
We’ve all heard the stories. Seniors choosing between medications and food. Kids who only eat at school because there isn’t any food at home. Parents who go without so their kids can have a meal before bed. In November 2025, when the SNAP Food Assistance Program was on hold because of the government shutdown, these stories grew to a fevered pitch and brought attention to health equity and the right to healthy food. 5.4% (about 75,900 people) of NH residents receive SNAP benefits. That includes families with children, seniors, and disabled individuals – and all of them are struggling to make ends meet.
The federal government has recently intensified the work requirement for people receiving SNAP benefits. State advocacy groups like NH Hunger Solutions and New Futures are tracking bills that will limit eligibility and impose food restrictions for people using SNAP benefits. (SB615 – read more here). One of the food restrictions that is being discussed would limit the kinds of food SNAP can purchase. SNAP benefits would no longer be able to be used to purchase sugary treats, like candy and soda. (Just like you already can’t use SNAP to purchase alcohol or tobacco). And it would seem to make sense – sugar is not essential to health. Except when you learn that Twix is covered by SNAP (because, flour?) and Snickers is not. Think about all the little “mom and pop” shops that would now have to figure out exactly what they could and could not charge to SNAP.. Some may make the decision not to accept SNAP at all. It’s too complicated and the risk of penalties is too great.
Transportation can be another barrier for people to access healthy foods. Many of our towns only have small, local stores. For instance, in Antrim the closest large grocery store is about 10 miles away. Not everyone has reliable access to a vehicle, and those that do need to be mindful of how they use their gas. The recent hike in gas prices has made a trip to Keene or Concord more expensive and less likely. If there isn’t a local grocery store, that makes food far less accessible.
I witness the impact of the changes in food access programs on a daily basis. I regularly see an older adult who lives in subsidized housing and has a very limited income. Just as her rent was being increased, her SNAP benefits were reduced from $147 to $24 per month. A neighbor she had relied upon for rides to get groceries and medicine recently passed away, and now she is paying $10 to a different neighbor to get to and from the store. At the same time, her prescription medications, which used to be at no cost to her, are now at a cost of $600 per month. For someone who is barely getting by, these new costs are unmanageable. The increase in rent, decrease in SNAP benefits, change in prescription coverage and added transportation expense has been overwhelming. She is so stretched that she now faces the possibility of eviction from her home.
Between the new work requirements, changes in eligibility, reduction of benefits and rising costs, SNAP isn’t the safety net it used to be. But there are a lot of people and organizations committed to food access in our region! Food pantries, like the Antrim Bennington Food Pantry and Peterborough Food Pantry are lifesavers. They receive funding and support from the community and they get low cost foods in bulk from the NH Food Bank. Recently, food pantries have been more vigilant in requiring ID information for people coming in for help. So, it’s important to bring in the necessary information to receive food. This information is shared with NH Food Bank for a number of reasons, including applying for grants and tracking needs around the state. Here at the Grapevine, we have a small shelf unit of food and hygiene items available and we aren’t required to collect personal information. Both food pantries and the Grapevine benefit from individual donations of non-expired, non-perishable foods.
You can find more information about Food Resources in our region here. And, we ask you to use your voice about the SNAP regulations moving through our state legislature! Please visit New Futures or NH Hunger Solutions to learn about these current bills and how to contact your local representatives.
