'The damage is done already': What 2 weeks without SNAP meant for NYC

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New Yorkers say they’re still playing catch-up after a historic two-week disruption in federal food assistance benefits earlier this month.

The Trump administration’s decision to stop Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments during the government shutdown overwhelmed New York City’s food pantries, pushed SNAP recipients to skip meals or stop paying other bills to afford to eat, and suppressed sales at local grocery stores. Now, recipients say they are still feeling the consequences of a benefits break that shattered their trust in the program.

”How can you forget? I'm already preparing myself for when it's going to happen again,” said Alvin Copeland, 64 who received his food benefits late. “The damage is done already.”

In New York City, about 1.8 million people rely on the monthly assistance to afford their groceries. Most recipients are children and older adults. While some already rely on food pantries to patch together enough food to feed their families, others turned to soup kitchens and food banks for the first time, even before benefits stopped Nov. 1.

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