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The line to get a turkey meal from the Addison Area Food Pantry wrapped all the way down the block and around the corner, but this isn’t usual.

Jaime Potts, the pantry’s Program Coordinator, said their 2025 Turkey Giveaway was the busiest they’d ever been.

“That was the most people we’ve ever had at once. The line was up the street and wrapped around the corner for people trying to make sure they could try to keep things as normal as possible for the holidays,” Jaime said.

Earlier that month, the government shutdown left millions of Americans without SNAP benefits for more than two weeks. In the Food Bank of the Southern Tier’s six-county service area, more than 66,000 people lost access to the SNAP benefits that helped them make ends meet.

Working together with partner agencies, volunteers, and donors, the Food Bank was able to respond swiftly in a moment of uncertainty and hardship. Our team rapidly scaled up operations on all fronts – from warehouse and distribution to community programming and real-time communication.

Our warehouse team set a record by distributing 150,000 pounds of food on Nov. 13, surpassing the previous record set during COVID. Additional state funding also brought in several truckloads of holiday produce boxes and dairy products like milk and yogurt throughout the end of the year.

We also expanded programs like Mobile Food Pantries, School Food Centers, and BackPack that met individuals where they already were. Our program team delivered additional BackPack supplies and held emergency Mobile Food Pantries, one of which served 275 households in a single day.

Emergency food boxes were rapidly packed and strategically distributed in rural communities. During the shutdown, the Food Bank also saw a surge of walk-ups to the warehouse, increasing distribution from one emergency food box per week to five or more.

As warehouse distribution ramped up, partner agencies put the increased food supply to use – adding additional service days and time slots to their scheduled availability, while utilizing other partners in the areas to spread resources as efficiently as possible.

The Addison Area Food Pantry in Steuben County, which serves a large senior population that utilizes SNAP, added an additional day to accommodate the demand they were seeing during their normal hours.

In addition to every Monday and the fourth Saturday of every month, the pantry started opening on the second Wednesday of every month – which Jaime said was made possible through cross-partner collaboration, volunteer work, and community donations.

“All the donations that came in during that pause really allowed us to be able to be open more and potentially not dip into our emergency funds. It really helped us because our community did come through for us,” she said.

Communication remains a vital part of the Food Bank’s outreach efforts, even after SNAP resumed. The Addison Area Food Pantry remains open on the second Wednesday of every month and posts updates about their hours on social media. The Food Bank also launched a new Food Finder tool last October.

Although SNAP benefits resumed on Nov. 13, the effects of the pause haven’t gone away – and neither have the hardships people face in winter – like utility bills and rising healthcare costs. Jaime said the pantry still sees families and individuals who began coming during the government shutdown.

Even more changes will be impacting SNAP recipients as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill. In March, able-bodied adults will be required to work or volunteer 80 hours a month to keep their SNAP benefits after a three-month period.

“Those who were able to barely make ends meet now will struggle even more,” said Samantha Eck, Director of Communications for the Food Bank.

These changes will result in even greater systemic challenges for organizations like the Food Bank and the individuals they serve. While the Food Bank is designed to act as a safety net in times of national and local crisis, it cannot function as a long-term solution.

“When families lose access to SNAP, even temporarily, the impact is immediate and profound,” said Mark Bordeau, President & CEO of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. “What we saw during the pause was both the strain on families and the strength of this community. Volunteers, partners, and donors stepped forward without hesitation. That is how stronger communities are built. But if we are committed to lasting change, we need strong public programs working alongside strong local partnerships. Emergency food is a bridge — it cannot be the foundation.”

The effects of the SNAP pause are still being felt in our community. If you want to help ensure lasting support for families, consider learning more about advocacy and how you can reach out to your representatives. Every voice matters.

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