The government shut down on the first of October 2025. As of November 5th, the government had been shut down for 35 days, making it the longest shutdown in United States history. On November 9th, eight Democrats crossed party lines in a vote to end the shutdown, trying to maintain the fight for Medicare benefits but return pay to federal workers.
As of November 1st, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits—commonly known as SNAP, food stamps, or EBT—were not renewed for the first time in United States history. According to the Department of Agriculture (USDA), 41.7 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits for basic nutritional needs. Also, according to the USDA, 18.3 million or 38% of total SNAP benefit recipients are children, and 9.2 million or around 19.5% of total recipients are senior citizens. 12.5% of Maine citizens rely on monthly SNAP benefits, according to a brief issued by Governor Mills. 75% of households who rely on SNAP have a working adult, 50% have one or more people with a disability, 43% have one or more senior citizens, and 33% have one or more children.
The first national food stamp program was enacted in 1939 as a response to the Great Depression. The Depression-era program continued until 1943. For eighteen years, the country was without a national food assistance program until the Pilot Food Stamp program was enacted in 1961. In 1964, the Food Stamp Act was signed, permanently placing SNAP benefits under the federal USDA, with stipulations that the USDA would distribute to states, who would then distribute to their citizens.
Since being made responsible for SNAP benefits in 1964, the USDA has maintained a contingency fund in case of government shutdowns or natural disasters. On October 24th, according to the aforementioned brief from Governor Mills, the USDA issued a memo that it would not be using the contingency fund to extend SNAP benefits, after claiming the shutdown would not affect SNAP benefits for November.
The USDA and Trump administration were brought to court multiple times over the restriction of SNAP benefits. According to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, on November 7th, the USDA instructed all states to issue full benefits. However, according to NPR, on November 9th, President Trump ordered states to “immediately undo” any actions made to fund SNAP. This order comes after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the administration to fund SNAP benefits, saying the refusal to issue benefits is causing “needless suffering.”
With SNAP benefits now unreliable, communities have stepped up. As of November 1st, two UNE librarians, Izabella Botto and Karen Nelson, placed a cart in the library vestibule. A simple note on the cart, handwritten on a piece of paper, indicated the cart was a food bank and to “take what you need.”
Botto said that after SNAP benefits were cut, she and Nelson, “felt this really strong sense of urgency to do something, no matter how small”. She had a spare book cart, “sanitized it with wipes,” placed it in the open space in the vestibule, and the rest was history. Botto has relied on the kindness of UNE students, who have anonymously placed donations on the cart, so that when she “walked in, there is stuff there.”
When asked about what will happen to the cart due to the recent return of SNAP benefits, Botto said she, “worked in several public libraries that had food pantries at the entryway,” saying she felt like it should be something “that should be there regardless of what’s going on.” Botto also said that she was “open to any ideas” referring to making the food pantry a permanent part of UNE, saying that she was “willing to work with other programs and departments to establish something bigger.” Botto addressed how food insecurity is still a problem within our communities, with or without the aid of SNAP benefits.
As of November 11th, SNAP benefits have been reissued for November, but food insecurity remains a problem faced by many in the community.
