On October 31, New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency (effective November 1 at 12 a.m.) because of the suspension of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Murphy issued Executive Order No. 402, which established a coordinated statewide effort to provide food assistance by empowering state agencies to help vulnerable residents and protect public health and safety. More than 800,000 New Jerseyans rely on SNAP for their basic needs. Because of the pause on SNAP benefits, many may go hungry and are at risk of experiencing adverse health outcomes.
This came into fruition on November 3, when the National Guard was deployed to deliver three refrigerated storage containers to the Community Foodbank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) in Hillside and Fulfill in Neptune, to increase cold storage capacity at critical emergency hubs. In Hillside, the National Guard is also supporting on-site distribution as families are lining up for food. This is a joint operation between the Air National Guard, the Department of Health, the Office of Emergency Management, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority, working together to figure out logistics, storage, and transportation for perishable goods and food banks.
“With more than 800,000 New Jerseyans relying on SNAP to put food on the table, the Trump Administration’s decision to suspend benefits has created a clear and present threat to the health and safety of our residents,” said Murphy. “We will not stand by while families face hunger. That is why our state will mobilize every available resource to strengthen our food access networks banks, protect vulnerable communities, and ensure that every resident has access to the meals they need.”
However, on November 7, New Jersey’s Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman announced that SNAP funding was issued for November. This funding was previously withheld because of the government shutdown. Now, due to a federal judge’s ruling on November 6, the delayed benefits were made available as soon as possible. While the program is federally funded, the states are responsible for executing. Governor Murphy, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, and Senate President Nicholas Scutari said that they would be “accelerating the delivery of food and hunger grants” to food banks. Murphy claimed that there shouldn’t be any upcoming disruptions in SNAP’s availability, and SNAP recipients should check their Families First EBT cards to confirm their balances.
Regarding New Jersey’s future, Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill recently appeared at West Side Park Community Center, where she was seen helping to pack bags of food. Sherrill stated she was here to bring awareness to the issue. She noted that the president is trying to stop SNAP funding and, despite being ordered by the court, “is kind of slow-walking the whole thing.” She told reporters that the federal government has enough resources to fully fund SNAP through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds, and at the minimum, should do what’s legally required of them.
