About 9,500 immigrants living legally in the country lost SNAP benefits on November 1, 2025, due to new eligibility restrictions GBH. A total of 1.1M residents in Massachusetts relied on SNAP before the federal government allowed it to expire. Meanwhile, ICE enforcement continues to be funded, terrorizing our communities and separating families while our most vulnerable residents face going hungry. This administration has made it clear over and over that the main focus of their agenda is to prioritize the uber wealthy, which they aim to achieve in part with a campaign of terror and ethnic cleansing, and they are willing to allow children and the elderly to starve to succeed.
It’s deeply depressing that things have to get this bad to see people pushing back; however, we can perhaps find some hope and inspiration in the midst of this particular crisis as we witness community members, non-profits and state and local legislators and officials stepping up. Here are some examples, followed by ways you can help and some resources you may not be aware of.
NAAM Food Pantry: The New American Association of Massachusetts launched the NAAM Food Pantry at their Lynn Office in 2024, thanks to support from Phoenix Food Hub, providing nutritious and culturally appropriate food options including rice, beans, vegetables, and Halal meat Naamass. NAAM’s dedicated staff work to stock, organize, and distribute pantry items on a weekly basis, with their Food Shopper and Case Management Team ensuring the food aligns with clients’ cultural preferences Naamass.
La Colaborativa: La Colaborativa runs a twice-weekly food pantry under the Tobin Bridge in Chelsea that sees about 10,000 people every week who line up for food, with families beginning to line up at 6 a.m. even though distribution doesn’t begin until 3 p.m. WBUR News The number attending has increased significantly in the past year as the number of new immigrants in Massachusetts has grown WBUR News.
United Way of Massachusetts Bay distributed funding to help the Salem Food Pantry expand food distribution at their Market and Mobile Pantry locations beginning Friday, November 1, 2025, enabling them to serve more households Mass.gov The United Way established the United Response Fund which distributed over $1.3 million in the last week of October 2025 to trusted community-based organizations and local food pantries Boston.com
Governor Healey advanced an additional $4 million from the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance program on top of the usual $4 million monthly distribution, bringing November 2025 funding to $8 million total Mass.gov
In November 2025, the city of Springfield partnered with the local NAACP chapter, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to collect food and monetary donations, with all Springfield libraries and city buildings accepting non-perishable items NEPM.
The Norwood Police Department collected food for their food pantry at the police station and planned to go door to door in coming days to pick up food donations from homes in November 2025 WCVB.
Blacker’s Bakery in Newton set up a table outside their store after closing on Sundays after 2 p.m. and Wednesdays after 5 p.m., offering challah bread for anyone to pick up, no questions asked, as a “respectful and dignified way to get what you need” WCVB.
Inna’s Kitchen on Commonwealth Avenue in Newton donated gluten-free bread and savory foods like soups to the same community table, with owner Alex Khitrik explaining: “I know when we came to this country, we relied on food stamps, and we immigrated in 1990. It’s kind of essential” WCVB.
Through the end of November 2025, the Cambridge Summer Shack restaurant partnered with the Cambridge Community Center on a campaign called “Nourish a Neighbor,” where servers invite diners to add a monetary donation to their check, with 100% going directly to the local food pantry to help those losing SNAP benefits WCVB
Every Monday in November between 12 PM and 2 PM SUYA Joint is providing a FREE Jollof Pasta meal. No purchase necessary. No questions asked. bJust present your benefits card and enjoy a hot, freshly made meal. Locations:
🏙️ Boston — 185 Dudley Street, Boston, MA 02119
🌆 Providence — 320 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903
r4 Technologies committed to donate 10,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables to Massachusetts food recovery organizations in response to the November SNAP freeze Mass.gov.
GoPuff offered SNAP customers who add their SNAP/EBT to the app $50 of free groceries in November 2025 Boston.
The Greater Boston Food Bank supplies food to 600 organizations in 190 Massachusetts communities GBH. In November 2025, to meet rising demand from the SNAP benefits crisis, the Greater Boston Food Bank revived its direct distribution strategy first launched during the pandemic, sending pallets of food directly to partners Bunewsservice.
The Boston Globe published this list of Greater Boston area food pantries.
How to Help:
- Organize a grocery or meal mutual aid system in your community. Find templates here to set up a grocery mutual aid system in your community
- Donate food and money to local food pantries.
- Does your community have an outdoor community fridge? Stock it.
- Organize a food drive at your school, business, or community center.
- Share available resources on social media and within your community.
Here are some potentially overlooked resources:
HIP: Health Incentives Program – if you have at least $0.01 on your SNAP card, you can receive $40-$80 of groceries (depending on family size) when you buy local food directly from a farmer’s market or farm stand.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-healthy-incentives-program-hip-frequently-asked-questions
TEFAP: The Emergency Food Assistance Program is a free, often-overlooked resource that can help provide monthly groceries when you need them most. https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap
GoPuff is offering SNAP customers who add their SNAP/EBT to the app $50 of free groceries in November 2025
Codes for $25 off Nov 1-15 (SNAPRELIEF1) and Nov 16-30 (SNAPRELIEF2)
Doordash is delivering 1M free meals via food banks
Find Free Food: Feeding America Free Food Finder
Find a Food Bank: Feeding America Food Bank Finder
Free Kids Meals:
Text COMIDA or FOOD to 304-304
HOTLINES
1-871-8-HAMBRE/ 1-866-3-HUNGRY to find assistance with groceries, neals, and additional aid.
Dial 2-1-1 for local pantries and meal sites.