SNAP Is Shrinking. Grocery Bills Aren't. Here's How Heritage Foundation USA Is Stepping Up

A 71 year old retired Marine waited in our pantry line last week.

His Social Security covers rent and medication — but not groceries. He apologized for being there.

We hear a version of that story every week now.

What's changed in 2026?

Three forces are reshaping hunger in America — and all three are landing on our doorstep.

•       SNAP is shrinking. More than 3.5 million Americans have come off the program since last July. New work rules now cover seniors up to age 64, plus veterans, foster youth, and parents with older kids.

•       Groceries cost more. Beef is up 14.8% year over year. Fresh vegetables jumped 3.1% just last month. For a retiree on a fixed income, that's the difference between Sunday dinner and a bowl of cereal.

•       Federal food supply is down. USDA deliveries to food banks have dropped roughly 36% since last October. Some pantries are seeing 40% more neighbors at the door.

You may have also seen headlines about the new $300 million Palantir-USDA contract to modernize farm records and fight fraud. It's a long-overdue win for taxpayer accountability — but it doesn't put a meal on anyone's table tonight. That's where we come in.

Who's hurting the most?

Behind the headlines are the same neighbors we've always served — just more of them:

•       Seniors on fixed incomes

•       Veterans newly subject to work requirements

•       Single moms and working families with kids

•       Rural Americans across Lake County and Illinois

Nearly 1 in 6 older Americans now worries about where their next meal will come from.

How Heritage Foundation USA is answering

We're a nonprofit with one job: make sure no neighbor in our community goes to bed hungry. This month, our volunteers are:

•       Packing fresh-food boxes for area seniors and veterans.

•       Running weekend backpack programs for kids in local schools.

•       Helping eligible seniors navigate the new SNAP paperwork.

•       Partnering with local pantries to stretch every dollar.

Can't give or serve this month? Forward this to one neighbor. Awareness is free, and it changes lives.