New York puts $26.4 million into SNAP outreach by 44 community groups as federal work rules tighten
The state's new Nutrition Navigators program replaces two outreach programs that ended Sept. 30. Hunger Solutions New York receives $4.4 million to train and support the providers, who will help people apply for SNAP and meet its expanded work requirements.
Albany. New York's Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance announced $26.4 million on Oct. 13 for Nutrition Navigators, a new program in which 44 community organizations will help people apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and keep them under federal work requirements expanded last year. The agency projects that the outreach will help more than 340,000 New Yorkers.
The program replaces the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program and the Targeted SNAP Outreach Program, which both ended on Sept. 30. The agency first sought applicants in a request for proposals issued on Jan. 23 and updated on April 17.
What changes for applicants and providers
H.R. 1, the federal law President Trump signed in July 2025, expanded SNAP work requirements: recipients who do not meet them can receive benefits for only three months in a three-year period. The same law cut the federal share of states' SNAP administrative costs, outreach included, from 50 percent to 25 percent on Oct. 1. The agency said the new program carries more state and local money to offset that cut; it did not say how much.
Navigators will prescreen people for SNAP, help them with applications and with meeting the work rules, and point families to other programs such as WIC, Summer EBT and the National School Lunch Program. Help in person or online will be available in every county, and Hunger Solutions New York will provide the virtual services in 12 counties.
“The Nutrition Navigators program will strengthen our ongoing efforts to connect more lower income New Yorkers to SNAP and other essential food assistance programs, especially in underserved areas of the state.”
Who received the grants
Hunger Solutions New York, based in Albany, receives $4.4 million to give the providers technical assistance, training, research and program evaluation, and to carry out a needs assessment that will help the agency find underserved areas. It also holds a direct services award of $2,278,160.
The largest direct services awards went to New York City organizations: Hunger Free America, $1,560,000; Voces Latinas, $1,461,950; the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, $1,339,142; the Council of Peoples Organization, $1,194,829; and the Chinese-American Planning Council, $1,102,500.
Food banks are on the list as well. The Catholic Charities Food Bank of the Southern Tier receives $780,540 to serve eight counties and the Food Bank of Central New York $708,457 to serve 11. Food Bank for New York City receives $400,793, Foodlink in Rochester $261,203, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York $245,296 and FeedMore Western New York $223,202.
The agency also said it has told local social services districts to help SNAP recipients comply with the work rules with jobs, job searches or volunteer placements.
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