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Contact: Maggie Talty
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Vermont Foodbank and Hunger Free Vermont Host Second Annual SNAP Awareness Day

MONTPELIER, Vt., January 30, 2024 — Anti-hunger advocates from Hunger Free Vermont, Vermont Foodbank and their partners joined legislators at the Vermont State House today to urge state leaders to make policy choices that ensure food security for everyone who lives in Vermont. The second annual SNAP Awareness Day is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – called 3SquaresVT locally. More than 68,000 people in Vermont rely on 3SquaresVT to purchase the food they need for their families. When emergency allotments implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic ended (temporary increases to monthly benefits for people enrolled in SNAP), the majority of 3SquaresVT participating households in Vermont lost between $100-$500 in monthly benefits. This impact is devastating to families on top of cascading crises like catastrophic flooding and record-high inflation and food costs and adds pressure to an already-stretched charitable food network in Vermont.

“SNAP is the largest and most flexible food security support program in the nation and in Vermont for those of us with the lowest incomes. At the same time, benefit amounts are inadequate, especially for families that just barely qualify,” said Anore Horton, Executive Director of Hunger Free Vermont. “Increasing the minimum 3SquaresVT benefit is something we can do at the state level to align this food security program with our Vermont values and make sure more families get the food they need.”

3SquaresVT benefit levels are scaled based on income and monthly expenses, and minimum benefit levels can be as low as $1 per month. Households with 1-2 people are guaranteed a minimum benefit of $23 per month. Introduced today at SNAP Awareness Day, the Give 3SquaresVT a Boost campaign proposes bringing minimum benefit levels closer to $100 per month.

“Our food access partners across the state are experiencing unprecedented visitation and are worried about what’s to come – they need more food and more funding to keep up,” said John Sayles, CEO of Vermont Foodbank. “I thank everyone who joined us today in the work ahead to create a food-secure Vermont. Our legislative leaders can take meaningful action now to make sure neighbors have access to the nourishing food they need and want.”

At the State House, advocates asked for legislative support in fully funding Vermont Foodbank’s 2025 base funding request so the organization can continue to purchase food and support its community partners in a time of need. Anti-hunger advocates also asked legislators to fully fund home-delivered meals for older Vermonters through the Vermont Area Agencies on Aging Meals on Wheels program; to help establish a restaurant meals program for 3SquaresVT participants (S.125 and H.703); and to fully fund incentive programs like Crop Cash PLUS and Farm Share.

For more information on food resources, visit VermontFoodHelp.com.

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About Hunger Free Vermont: Hunger Free Vermont is the statewide nonprofit organization that advocates and educates to bring a permanent end to hunger in Vermont through systemic change, universal strategies, and community collaboration. Since 1993, Hunger Free Vermont’s outreach programs have substantially enhanced Vermont’s nutrition safety net. We work to expand access to the federal programs that provide nutritious foods for school, childcare, summer and afterschool meals, and to expand access to 3SquaresVT (known nationally as SNAP), which provides healthy food for Vermonters at home. www.hungerfreevt.org