Middletown, CT – October 31, 2025

Due to the ongoing government shutdown, many local families will lose access to their SNAP benefits on November 1—and many are already bracing for the worst. During the week of October 27 through October 31, our Amazing Grace Free Community Market (AGFCM) served an average of 135 shoppers over the course of four hours. This is over 1.5 times more than our daily average in months prior. We anticipate that this number will only increase if the government shutdown persists.

According to the CT Department of Social Services, it is estimated that nearly 8,000 Middletown residents rely on SNAP benefits, 26% of which are under the age of 17. This means that thousands of our friends and neighbors will be left scrambling to put food on the table each night. A food emergency is imminent, but with the help and support of our community, AGFCM will strive to mitigate this crisis.

As of today, AGFCM will continue to operate a client-choice model Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12 p.m. through 4 p.m. Our supply of food is holding steady; we are currently working closely with Connecticut Foodshare to procure fresh, nutritious foods for our pantry. Additionally, we have a Sponsor Our Shelves (SOS) partnership with many local grocery stores and supermarkets. We are also able to source food via an ongoing partnership with Sysco.

Nevertheless, we understand that the SNAP freeze will likely necessitate a series of strategy changes as the crisis evolves. Our agency’s leadership team has prepared a robust and responsive crisis management plan that will be reviewed and augmented daily as needed.

For the time being, we are actively calling upon our base of donors, business partners, and nonprofit allies to help us source additional funding, volunteers, and food supplies.

If you or someone you know is interested in helping, please contact our AGFCM Program Director, Brenda Reilly, at brenda@svdmiddletown.org or 860-347-3222, ext. 200. Any Middletown resident in need of food is eligible to shop by visiting our food pantry at 16 Stack Street on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.