CLAREMONT — Loretta Macie has handed out boxes of food to families in need every weekday for almost three years at the Claremont Soup Kitchen. At home, Macie relies on federal benefits and food assistance from places like the pantry to feed herself and her three children.
Come Saturday, Macie, 39, is one of thousands of New Hampshire residents and a large portion of the Claremont population slated to lose benefits from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, due to the federal government shutdown now in its second month.
On Friday, two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to continue funding the program, according to the New York Times, but as of Friday afternoon it was not clear if or when the money would be distributed or how much.
Macie, a single mom with three children — an 11-month-old, a 7-year-old and a 16-year-old — relies on disability payments and child support to help make ends meet. Until her SNAP benefits are restored, Macie will have to figure out how she will stretch the food and resources still available to her family.
One additional challenge is that Macie’s children, like many kids, only “eat certain kinds of food; they’re picky eaters,” she said at the Soup Kitchen Friday morning.
Macie is among the more than 5,000 residents across the New Hampshire side of the Upper Valley, nearly half of whom live in Claremont, who receive SNAP benefits, according to data from the nonprofit New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture informed states that it would not administer SNAP benefits, starting Saturday, Nov. 1, prompting widespread anxiety and quick responses from the Twin States.
In Vermont, officials have opted to use funds set aside in the annual budget process to administer SNAP benefits through at least Nov. 15. The program is expected to be up and running by Friday and in the interim, officials allocated supplemental funding to the Vermont Foodbank to support local food assistance providers.
New Hampshire leaders also approved a contingency plan Wednesday to allocate $2 million to the New Hampshire Food Bank to distribute supplemental resources to pantries and host mobile food pantries across the state. But Granite Staters won’t receive SNAP benefits until further notice while the government shutdown is ongoing unless the federal courts ruling holds up.
So far, Macie said she has not seen a notable change in demand at the Claremont Soup Kitchen where she volunteers, but she expects that will start next week.
Despite the situation, which she said is a “very first for me” in terms of uncertainty and lack of resources, Macie was somewhat optimistic. “I’m nervous a little bit, but I think we can get through,” she said. If her family runs low on food, she hopes they can turn to the soup kitchen for daily meals and other resources.
The soup kitchen hosts breakfast and lunch on weekdays and dinner five days a week. Claremont residents who qualify can also collect one food box a month. Others can access the “open pantry” for such basics as bread, produce and eggs.
Anxiety grows
Other food assistance providers are already feeling anxiety about the change.
The Newport Area Association of Churches Food Pantry, housed in Newport, consistently feeds about 300 families. In the last five months, they have seen about 50 new families, Executive Director Christy Schmidt said Wednesday.
Though Schmidt attributes the recent increase to a public information campaign, she said she expects to see more new faces in November. Newport is another high-need Upper Valley town with more than 12% of its residents typically receiving SNAP benefits.
Currently, the pantry, which is by appointment-only, can provide one week worth of meals every three weeks. It is an “emergency program” that was meant to be “supplemental” to other resources such as SNAP, WIC or school lunch programs, Schmidt said.
Schmidt is “scared” the pantry won’t be able to meet an increased demand.
“We keep increasing like that, we’re going to be in trouble,” she said. “I need donations and I need them fast because I can’t count on the federal government anymore.”
Without a substantial increase in private donations, Schmidt worries about how people will meet their needs. “I literally cry about this because I’m watching what’s happening and if you’ve ever been food insecure it’s terrifying,” she said.
Many food service providers, including the pantry in Newport, are doing what they can to solicit more donations and increase services to support more people in need.
Even a small donation can be substantial for a food pantry because they are able to purchase high quality food at discounted and bulk rates that individuals cannot, she said. With just $12, the Newport pantry can feed one person for a week.
“A little bit goes a long way,” Schmidt said.
Record days
In other Upper Valley communities, demand for food has already gone up and providers are doing what they can to boost services.
As of Tuesday, visits to the Upper Valley Haven Food Market in Hartford had already risen by 25%, according to a social media post. The market, which used to close at 4:30 p.m. most days, is now open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
At Listen Community Services in Lebanon, the nonprofit is working with the New Hampshire Food Bank to distribute food boxes to SNAP recipients, program director Heather Griffin said Thursday.
Listen already operates a regular food pantry and hosts daily meals at its dining hall in White River Junction.
In the past two weeks, Listen has seen multiple record high days at the food pantry and at the dining hall, higher even than “in the thick of COVID,” Griffin said.
In previous years, the pantry has served an average of 50 households a day, Listen Executive Director Kristi Lenart-Rikert said.
This year, that average is up to 70 households and the pantry served a record 85 families in one day this week. The dining hall is serving 46% more meals each night than last year.
“The need is accelerating, particularly with the pause in SNAP benefits and other federal cutbacks,” Lenart-Rikert said. “We’re partnering closely with the NH Food Bank to ensure food is mobilized quickly to reach households most affected.”
A full list of free food assistance programs in the Upper Valley is available at https://vnews.com/2025/08/01/uppervalley-food-assistance-programs/.
