Since 1854, Forestdale has stood as a pillar of support for families in Queens and Brooklyn. We were founded to serve families in crisis, and today, we continue that mission providing trauma-informed care, parenting support, and stability to thousands of families each year. But now, we face a crisis that threatens the very foundation of our community: the disruption of SNAP benefits.
On Nov. 1, due to the ongoing federal shutdown, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which feeds over 42 million Americans ceased issuing benefits. In Queens alone, over 330,000 residents relied on SNAP in 2022. That number has only grown as inflation and housing costs continue to stress working families. For many of the mothers and children we serve at Forestdale, SNAP is not supplemental—it is survival.
The impact is immediate and devastating. Families are already reporting skipped meals, empty refrigerators, and impossible choices between food and rent. As one SNAP recipient wrote in The New York Times, “$149.57 is going to have to feed my family indefinitely.” That’s not just a budgetary issue it’s a moral one.
This is not just a policy issue it’s a humanitarian emergency.
SNAP cuts don’t just hurt individuals they destabilize entire communities. Each SNAP dollar generates $1.54 in economic activity, supporting local grocers, bodegas, and farmers’ markets. When those dollars disappear, so do jobs, small businesses, and access to healthy food. In Queens, where food deserts already exist, this is a recipe for deeper inequity.
At Forestdale, we have always been a lifeline for families in need by providing food, material resources, and support with dignity and care. But today, we are being asked to do more. Much more.
We are mobilizing quickly to respond to this emergency, but we cannot do it alone. We have gone out to the community to help us help our neighbors in need to provide emergency food assistance to our families in crisis, partner with local pantries and community organizations, and ensure children and vulnerable adults do not go hungry
To understand the scale of need, consider this:
- $1,421 – Covers the SNAP benefit for a family of 6 for a month
- $1,183 – Covers the SNAP benefit for a family of 5 for a month
- $994 – Covers the SNAP benefit for a family of 4 for a month
- $785 – Covers the SNAP benefit for a family of 3 for a month
- $546 – Covers the SNAP benefit for a family of 2 for a month
- $298 – Covers the SNAP benefit for a young adult in need for a month
- $100 – Allows organizations like Forestdale to provide additional assistance to those in need
We call on our neighbors, elected officials, and fellow nonprofits to act:
- Donate to local food banks.
- Advocate for emergency state funding and federal restoration of SNAP.
- Support Forestdale as we are on the front lines of this crisis.
We will continue to be here for the families who need us. But we ask you to stand with us because hunger is not just a statistic. It’s a child in your neighborhood. It’s a mother skipping dinner.
