Rising Hunger, Shrinking Support: What Federal Food-Program Cuts Mean for Connecticut…
If you live in Connecticut, you may not always see the signs — but food insecurity is very real here. More than 516,000 residents across the state — about one in seven — are food insecure. And more than 122,000 children, or roughly one in six, are affected. That’s according to Connecticut Foodshare, which also reports that food insecurity has risen 40% since 2020, adding more than 150,000 new residents who now struggle with access to nutritious food.
So when you hear about proposed federal budget cuts to programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), the consequences for our neighbors are serious — and immediate.
Why SNAP and TEFAP Matter
SNAP is the nation’s largest nutrition safety-net program. It helps low-income households buy groceries at supermarkets, farmers markets, and local stores. Connecticut Foodshare explains it best:
“SNAP is the nation’s most effective program for addressing hunger… for every one meal a food bank can provide, SNAP can provide nine.”¹
When SNAP benefits are strong, families can stretch their grocery budgets, local stores see more business, and food pantries can focus on emergencies instead of daily survival. When SNAP is cut, the opposite happens — food-pantry lines grow longer, shelves get emptier, and hunger spreads.
TEFAP is the USDA program that supplies food commodities — like canned goods, proteins, and produce — to state food banks and local pantries. It’s the backbone of Connecticut’s food distribution network. But in 2025, the USDA canceled multiple TEFAP “bonus loads” bound for Connecticut — about 34 truckloads, or roughly 1.4 million pounds of food valued at $1.7 million.²
“This is food we were counting on, and that our local pantries were counting on, that now we’re not getting,” said Jason Jakubowski, President & CEO of Connecticut Foodshare.³
What These Cuts Look Like in Connecticut
The numbers tell the story:
516,000+ residents are food insecure.
122,000+ children don’t have consistent access to meals.
Food insecurity has increased 40 % since 2020.⁴
34 TEFAP bonus loads canceled, leaving major supply gaps.²
Jakubowski warned earlier this year:
“Could there be cuts to the TEFAP program that provides us with $40 million worth of food each year? Yes, absolutely. Could there be cuts to SNAP and other programs that our neighbors directly count on for food? It’s certainly possible.”⁵
By June 2025, as federal negotiations continued, he added:
“The unfortunate truth is that the extra funding that we got from the state is not going to completely fill the hole that we’re going to have from the federal government.”⁶
At one Bridgeport pantry, staff said they used to reliably receive canned vegetables from federal shipments — but those items have disappeared. “That’s gone,” one volunteer said. “If you didn’t have anything else, you’d have green beans, you’d have collard greens, you’d have corn. That’s gone.”³
These cancelled shipments mean fewer calories, fewer nutrients, and fewer choices for families already stretched to their limits.
Real-World Impact
What do these policy cuts look like on the ground?
Families face impossible trade-offs — skipping meals to pay rent or utilities.
Seniors lose reliable access to proteins and produce from pantries.
Children face hunger that affects school performance and development.
Local pantries scramble to fill gaps with donations that can’t match the lost scale of federal aid.
Foodshare warns that these cuts “increase pressure on food banks and meal programs responding to the growing need.”¹ And when food banks are forced to do more with less, it’s the people on the margins — the working poor, the elderly, the disabled — who feel it most.
Why It Hits Connecticut Hard
Connecticut is one of the wealthiest states in America — but also one of the most expensive to live in. High costs for housing, healthcare, and utilities mean even small income disruptions can push families into food insecurity.
Foodshare notes:
“Even in a state as wealthy as Connecticut, there is need for food assistance in every community… Sometimes the difference between a family that uses a food program and one that doesn’t is the sudden loss of a job, an illness or unexpected rise in expenses.”⁴
The 40% increase in food insecurity since 2020 shows that hunger is spreading beyond traditional boundaries. Suburban and rural communities are seeing record demand — and local food banks are struggling to keep pace.
“The new Map the Meal Gap report confirms that food insecurity is getting worse in Connecticut, and it’s getting harder to address,” said Jakubowski.⁷
What You Can Do
Here’s how you can make a tangible difference:
Contact your elected officials.
Call or email your U.S. Senators and Representatives and urge them to oppose cuts to SNAP and TEFAP.Donate or volunteer.
Every dollar donated to Connecticut Foodshare helps provide multiple meals. Visit ctfoodshare.org to give or sign up to help pack food at one of their distribution centers.Support local farmers and food programs.
The canceled Local Food Purchase Assistance program also hurt CT farmers who supplied fresh produce to pantries. Buy local when possible, or support nonprofits that source from Connecticut growers.Spread the word.
Share the facts: one in seven CT residents and one in six children are food insecure. Raising awareness helps reduce stigma and increase action.
Closing Thoughts
The math is simple — when federal programs like SNAP and TEFAP are cut, hunger grows. More than half a million Connecticut residents already struggle with food insecurity, and the cancellation of federal food shipments only widens that gap.
But there’s also good news: advocacy works. Lawmakers respond to public pressure, and community donations help food banks weather funding shortfalls.
“We can’t fill a federal hole with local generosity,” Jakubowski said recently. “But we can’t stop trying either.”³
If you’re looking for a way to start, visit www.ctfoodshare.org — every dollar, every hour volunteered, and every call to your representatives makes a difference.
Sources
Connecticut Foodshare — Statement on the Passage of the Budget Reconciliation Bill.
https://www.ctfoodshare.org/statement-on-the-passage-of-the-budget-reconciliation-billConnecticut Foodshare — Featured Update: Canceled TEFAP Bonus Loads (March 2025).
https://www.ctfoodshare.org/featured-updateCT Post: “Bridgeport Food Pantry Feels the Pain of Federal Cuts.”
https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/bridgeport-ct-food-pantry-nourish-trump-20250505.phpConnecticut Foodshare — Hunger in Connecticut (Data Page).
https://www.ctfoodshare.org/hunger-in-ctConnecticut Foodshare — Update from President & CEO Jason Jakubowski (March 2025).
https://www.ctfoodshare.org/update-from-our-president-and-ceo-jason-jakubowskiCT Public News — “CT Foodshare Fears New Challenges Feeding Families Amid Federal Funding Threats.”
https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2025-06-27/ct-foodshare-fears-new-challenges-feeding-families-amid-new-federal-funding-threatsWFSB News — “Food Insecurity Up 40 % in Connecticut, Foodshare Says.”
https://www.wfsb.com/2025/05/14/food-insecurity-up-connecticut-ct-foodshare-says