Jane Goodman

Food insecurity has been on the rise, even before threats to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program. At Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter we see firsthand the increasing need and demand for food in our community. When SNAP was inaccessible during the 2025 federal shutdown, charitable food programs like ours were overwhelmed immediately. SNAP is our community’s first line of defense against hunger and provides far more food than pantries ever could. In fact, for every one meal a food pantry can provide, SNAP provides nine. If that amount of funding is removed from the program (the cuts have come from somewhere), more individuals and families would have to do without benefits and put even more pressure on food pantries that simply cannot keep making up the difference.