People across the United States formed long lines for free meals and groceries at food pantries and drive-through giveaways on Saturday, after monthly payments through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were suddenly cut off due to the ongoing government shutdown.

In the Bronx borough of New York City, around 200 more people than usual showed up at the World of Life Christian Fellowship International pantry, many bundled in winter hats and coats, pushing collapsible shopping carts as they waited in a line that stretched across several city blocks. Some arrived as early as 4 am to choose from pallets of fruits, vegetables, bread, milk, juice, dry goods, and prepared sandwiches.

Mary Martin, a volunteer at the pantry who also relies on it to supplement her SNAP payments, told AP that she typically divides her roughly $200 a month in benefits between herself and her two adult sons, one of whom has six children and is especially dependent on the assistance.

“If I didn’t have the pantry to come to, I don’t know how we would make it,” Martin stressed. “I’m not gonna see my grandkids suffer.”

The Department of Agriculture had planned to withhold payments to the program starting Saturday until two federal judges ordered the administration to resume them. However, it remained unclear when beneficiaries’ debit cards could be reloaded following the rulings, sparking fear and confusion among many recipients.

In apparent response to President Donald Trump, who said he would provide the funds but wanted additional legal direction from the court, US District Judge John J. McConnell in Rhode Island ordered the government to report back by Monday on how it would finance SNAP accounts. McConnell, an Obama appointee, said the Trump administration must either make full payments by that day or, if it decides to use $3 billion from a contingency fund, determine how to do so by Wednesday.

'The pantry is no longer for the poor'

The delay in SNAP payments, a core component of the nation’s social safety net that serves about 42 million people, has mirrored the financial fragility many US citizens face. At the Bronx pantry, Reverend John Udo-Okon said “people from all walks of life” are now seeking help.

“The pantry is no longer for the poor, for the elderly, for the needy. The pantry now is for the whole community, everybody,” Udo-Okon told AP. “You see people drive in their cars, park, and wait to see if they can get food.”

In Austell, Georgia, hundreds of cars lined up at a drive-through distribution site where Must Ministries handed out bags of nonperishable and perishable foods to about 1,000 people, far more than at a typical biweekly giveaway. Families in line said they feared they wouldn’t receive their SNAP benefits in time for Thanksgiving.

At a similar event at Calvary Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, SNAP recipient James Jackson, 74, voiced frustration that ordinary people were suffering because of political gridlock in Washington.

“If you’ve never been poor, you don’t know what it is to be poor,” Jackson said. “I hope it turns around. I hope people get their SNAP benefits, and I hope we just come together where we can love each other, feed each other, and help each other.”

While the church’s drive-through events usually draw long lines, Reverend Samuel L. Whitlow said the walk-in pantry has also seen rising demand, with about 60 more people seeking help this week.

In Norwich, Connecticut, the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen and pantry brought in 10 extra volunteers Saturday to manage an expected influx of newcomers, ensuring they felt welcome and aware of available services. In addition to groceries and hot meals, the site offered pet food, toiletries, and blood pressure checks.

“They’re embarrassed. They have shame. So you have to deal with that as well,” said director Jill Corbin. “But we do our best to just try to welcome people.”

Wider context

Amid growing concerns over government spending priorities, Trump’s decision to build a $250 million ballroom at the White House has ignited public outrage and congressional criticism. The lavish 90,000-square-foot addition, billed as privately financed yet shrouded in secrecy over its donors, comes as the US continues to pour vast sums of taxpayer money into foreign wars, including nearly $67 billion in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022 and over $22 billion to "Israel" since October 2023.

Critics argue that this exposes a troubling disconnect between Washington’s spending abroad and its neglect of urgent domestic needs, including rising food insecurity and cuts to federal nutrition assistance programs. The ballroom, they say, has become a symbol of misplaced priorities, opulence for the few, while millions of Americans struggle to afford groceries.