Stand with Favarh, Support of Those Impacted by Hurricane Melissa

October 31, 2025



 

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Dear Neighbor,

I wanted to share an extra e-news this week with all that is going on here, and as a result of Hurricane Melissa.
 
First, FAVARH is supporting their employees by asking for donated items for those impacted in Jamaica by the hurricane. They have collected the necessary items to be sent to Jamaica by a larger organization.
 
Second, the Canton PTO will be collecting food donations at the polls in Canton on Tuesday, November 4th, for the Connecticut Food Bank. As a reminder, Canton Food Bank is one of the over 500 partner pantries that Connecticut Foodshare works with.
 
Finally, an update on the situation with SNAP benefits. As of this afternoon, two separate judges have ruled that the Trump administration needs to provide an answer by Monday as to whether or not they plan on issuing the $6 billion in contingency funds and how. We know that this $6 billion would not cover full benefits for November, but it would mitigate the growing humanitarian crisis. The judge in the Rhode Island case made it clear that the government is obligated to release this funding. The reality is not as clear as there may be appeals to these cases but the administration is obligated to respond.
 
Starting tomorrow, the latest information we have is that if you have an EBT card that still has money on the card, the card should continue to work at retailers. However, no new dollars will be on the card.
 
As a reminder, the state has given $3 million to Connecticut Foodshare to use over the next two weeks to shore up their pantries and their mobile pantries. Ongoing conversations are happening as to how else we can help the 360,000 residents of Connecticut who rely on SNAP dollars to survive.
 
Have a safe Halloween this evening,
 
Eleni
 
Favarh: Supporting Those Impacted by Hurricane Melissa

Favarah staff and individuals are standing in support of people and families affected by the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

interested in joining them? Please consider donating:

  • Non-perishable food items
  • Toiletries
  • Diapers/Wipes
  • Medical Supplies
  • Cleaning Supplies
  • Flashlights/Batteries

*All contributions should be sent to Favarh Programs by Friday, November 7th. Items will be delivered to an established donation location.
 
Help CBPS Help Feed Local Families

The Cherry Brook Primary School is helping local families put food on the table and seeks your help. Please see the flyer below for more details.
 
An Update on SNAP

As the federal government shutdown reaches the one-month mark, there are real concerns about programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps keep children and families, the elderly, and many veterans fed.

The situation before us is very fluid, so I'm sharing with you what we know at this time. 

Late last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it won't use its $6 billion contingency fund to support SNAP during the shutdown, nor will it reimburse states if they cover the costs themselves. This means that effective Saturday, November 1, no new SNAP benefits will be distributed without federal action, impacting roughly 42 million low-income Americans, including 360,000 Connecticut residents. Unused funds on EBT cards are accessible through November.

Nationwide, many rely on these funds, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million individuals with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans. These are our neighbors - they are not "Illegals." These are people we know. People who will be struggling to find food and to feed their families. 

On Monday, Governor Lamont announced at CT Foodshare in Wallingford that the state would provide $3 million in emergency funding to help residents who are expected to lose access to SNAP benefits during the shutdown. The emergency funding will support Connecticut Foodshare’s participating partners and programs to provide food assistance to families and individuals facing food insecurity.

While the governor acknowledged $3 million would not fill the entire gap left by the loss of federal funds, he noted it represents the state’s commitment to supporting others during this crisis.

Connecticut Foodshare CEO Jason Jakubowski said the funding will help the nonprofit organization to buy additional food to distribute to agency partners and mobile pantries across the state over the next two weeks. With Foodshare's food-buying power, every dollar equals about 2 meals, equaling 6 million meals over the course of two weeks.

The governor, the CT Department of Social Services (DSS), which distributes the SNAP program, and other state agencies continue to monitor the impact of the shutdown and are exploring additional measures to support Connecticut residents. 

CT DSS has reported that cash benefits like TFA and SAGA will still be issued normally.

For information on how to obtain food assistance from Connecticut Foodshare, as well as information on how to donate to this organization, visit www.ctfoodshare.org.

The United Way of Connecticut has published a list of resources to help here.

You can find a pantry or mobile pantry at Connecticut Foodshare’s website here. 

If you are able, please consider donating to your local pantry or to Connecticut Foodshare.

Sincerely,

Eleni Kavros DeGraw
State Representative

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