Good Shepherd Food Bank said it’s concerned for the nearly 50,000 Mainers receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
The Auburn-based nonprofit said the federal budget reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4 could shift around $60 million in annual SNAP funding previously provided by the federal government to the state, resulting in the loss of an estimated 20 million meals to Mainers.
The cut could result in the loss or reduction of benefits and place pressure on Good Shepherd and Maine’s entire charitable food network, the food bank said in a statement.
Good Shepherd projected that the cuts will increase how much the state must spend on SNAP and reduce the number of people eligible for benefits.
“This legislation is a significant setback for people and communities already facing barriers to accessing the food and resources they need to live full lives,” said Heather Paquette, Good Shepherd’s president. “Maine’s food insecurity rate is higher than the national average and includes 20% of our children who are currently living in food insecure homes.”
In 2024, the food bank distributed a record 40 million meals and invested over $1 million in grants to partners to improve and promote access to nutritious food across the state.
The number represented a steady expansion, from 10.7 million meals in 2010 to 29 million meals in 2022 and 33.6 million meals in 2023.
Good Shepherd is the largest hunger-relief organization in Maine, distributing food to over 600 partner organizations across the state, including food pantries, meal sites, schools, health care centers and senior programs.
The nonprofit also engages in advocacy and nutrition education.