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Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey blasted the Trump administration Sunday for threats to penalize states that issue the full SNAP benefits.
“If President Trump wants to penalize states for preventing Americans from going hungry, we will see him in court,” Healey said following a dizzying weekend that included the governor issuing full food benefits to eligible residents beginning Saturday and a Supreme Court temporary order favoring the Trump administration.
In the latest salvo late Saturday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered states like Massachusetts that provided full benefits to “immediately undo” the actions or face financial penalties. That order came after the Supreme Court Friday night temporarily paused a decision by a federal appeals court to uphold an order by a federal judge in Rhode Island to fully fund the SNAP program.
“Massachusetts residents with funds on their cards should continue to spend it on food,” Healey said Sunday. “These funds were processed in accordance with guidance we received from the Trump Administration and a lower court order, and they were processed before the Supreme Court order on Friday night.
“We will continue to work with Attorney General Campbell to make sure everyone gets the full benefits they are owed. President Trump should be focusing on reopening the government that he controls instead of repeatedly fighting to take away food from American families.”
Nearly half of New Bedford households lost access to SNAP this month after the Trump administration refused to fund the program during the ongoing federal shutdown.
Since the SNAP cutoff Nov. 1, South Coast residents have been working to fill in the gaps. A bank donated $100,000 to local nonprofits on Friday for food purchases and distribution, while food pantries continue to mobilize around ballooning demand.
As a result of the freeze, New Bedford’s food pantries and meal assistance programs saw hundreds more customers per week, straining supplies and volunteer bandwidth.
On Thursday, the line for the weekly food pantry at St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford’s North End stretched down the street and around the block. The pantry usually serves roughly 400 North End residents a week, volunteer pantry coordinator Stacie Hallal said, but in the past few weeks, that number has more than doubled.
“We’re up to 800 families a week every single week,” Hallal said Thursday morning. “A lot, a lot of new faces.”
Hallal put out a call to residents on the radio last weekend for more donations to keep up with demand. She said the pantry had received an outpouring of support from residents and local businesses — but she still worries whether it will be enough as the holiday season approaches.
“We’re just trying to do the best we can with what we have,” Hallal said. “That’s all we can do.”
To alleviate some of the pressure on the region’s food pantries, Bristol County Savings Bank announced Friday that it had awarded $100,000 in grants through its foundation to four local nonprofits addressing food insecurity. The bank donated $25,000 each to The United Way of Massachusetts Bay (Taunton-Attleboro), United Way of Greater New Bedford, United Way of Greater Fall River and the Rhode Island Community Food Bank in Providence. The donations will go toward food purchases and distribution.
BankFive in Fall River also announced Friday that its foundation had committed $10,000 in total to 10 local food banks in Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts, and Cape Cod.
For SNAP recipients like Nereida Pino, food pantries provide the last lifeline for weekly groceries. A North End retiree living alone, Pino relied on her monthly SNAP allotment for all of her meals and was among the hundreds of New Bedford residents lined up outside St. Anthony of Padua Church on a brisk Thursday morning. Although she lived down the block from the pantry, this was her first time waiting in line.
“Of course I’m worried,” Pino said in Spanish. “I don’t have anything to eat.”
In line with Pino was her daughter, Aleyda Jimenez, who flew in from Texas to support her through the shutdown.
“She has seven children, so we’re all pooling together to help,” Jimenez said. “But we’re struggling, too, and the more we give to her, the less we have for ourselves.”
Jimenez on Friday said she was grateful to hear that SNAP funds would resume shortly.
“It’s a big relief,” she said.
Nonprofit People Acting in Community Endeavors (PACE) runs a grocery-style food pantry five days a week. Ahead of the shutdown, PACE Health and Food Access Director Brooke L’Etoile said demand had already risen by roughly 100 new visitors each day. In recent days, L’Etoile said the pantry has taken on more volunteers to meet demand and continues to solicit donations.
“We will still need continuous donations to keep with the need, especially as the holidays are approaching,” L’Etoile said in an email Friday. “Every donation big or small makes a difference and helps keep our community fed.”
Brooke Kushwaha contributed to this report. Email her at bkushwaha@newbedfordlight.org.
Maura Healey is the one hurting this state, she is the worst governor in this state’s history, and needs to be voted out of office.