SNAP Pause: Where To Find Food Assistance In Mercer County

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Mercer County officials are coordinating with local organizations to ensure residents maintain access to food following the federal government's decision to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November.

The Department of Agriculture recently announced it would not distribute SNAP benefits this month, stating "the well has run dry."

The government shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is now the second-longest on record. While the Republican administration took steps leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid this month, the cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to a wider swath of Americans — and some of those most in need — unless a political resolution is found in just a few days.

The suspension affects millions of Americans who rely on SNAP to meet basic nutritional needs. According to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a non-partisan research organization focused on poverty reduction, more than 62 percent of the program's nearly 41.7 million participants nationwide are families with children. Additionally, 37 percent are families with elderly or disabled members, and over 38 percent are working families.

The Center's analysis of USDA Food and Nutrition Service data reveals that 827,200 New Jersey residents—representing 9 percent of the state's population, or one in eleven people—depend on SNAP benefits to keep food on their tables.

In Mercer County, some estimates suggest that currently close to 40,000 people depend on SNAP benefits.

County officials are urging families facing food insecurity to utilize available community resources. The Mercer County Free Food Finder website provides a comprehensive list of local organizations offering assistance.

Residents can contact Rise at 609-443-4464 or the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen at 609-695-5456, which operates programs at First Presbyterian Church of Hightstown, First United Methodist Church of Hightstown, and St. James A.M.E. Church in Hightstown.

SNAP recipients with questions are encouraged to visit NJFamiliesFirst.com or call 800-977-3333 for information.

Here are some other resources:

• Abundant Life Christian Fellowship Food Pantry, 1901 North Olden Avenue, Ewing
• A.M.E.N (A Meal Encourages Nourishment), 81 Bellevue Avenue, Trenton
• Arm In Arm - 601 Hamilton Avenue- Chambers St (former St Francis Hospital), 601 Hamilton Ave - Chambers St, Trenton
• Bethel World Outreach Ministries, 931 Martin Luther King Blvd, Trenton
• Faith Deliverance Cathedral, 15 Keswick Avenue, Ewing
• Jewish Family & Children’s Service Mobile Food Pantry, 707 Alexander Road, Suite 204, Princeton
• Kirtan & Prasadam Vegetarian Food Distribution, 59 Paul Robeson Pl, Princeton
• Lawrence Community Center, 295 Eggerts Crossing Rd, Lawrenceville