How food assistance programs can feed families and nourish their dignity

The 2025 government shutdown drew widespread attention to how many Americans struggle to get enough food. For 43 days, the more than 42 million Americans who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance…

National 211 hotline calls for food assistance quadrupled in a matter of days, a magnitude typically seen during disasters

Between January and mid-October 2025, calls to local 211 helplines from people seeking food pantries in their community held steady at nearly 1,000 calls per day. But as the government…