‘It affects our neighbors’

When partisan bickering takes hold of the nation’s capital, it’s easy to feel isolated from it in Middlesex Borough, a relatively small town located a couple of hundred miles away.

That is, unless you or someone you know, is directly affected by it.

The specific numbers are not public, but several hundred Middlesex households may lose food assistance soon, potential fallout from the federal government shutdown.

In recent days, there have been conflicting messages as to how real that possibility is.

The 42 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will go without their benefits come Nov. 1 due to the shutdown, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

SNAP, more commonly referred to as food stamps, is the federal program that provides monthly benefits to low-income families so they can afford healthy food.

The USDA oversees the program. The agriculture agency issued an advisory on its website on Monday, Oct. 27.

That message – rightly or wrongly – blamed the situation on U.S. Senate Democrats, saying, “Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued Nov. 1.”

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson had a dire warning for SNAP recipients after meeting with fellow congressional Republicans on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The speaker claimed that SNAP contingency funding is not legally available. “The pain register is about to hit level 10,” Johnson said.

But the following day, the prospects brightened a bit for SNAP benefits continuing uninterrupted. Speaking onboard Air Force One during a trip to Asia, President Donald Trump suggested his administration would find a way to continue food stamps during the shutdown. Attorney generals in 25 states weighed in, filing suit to force use of emergency funding to keep the program running.

Monthly SNAP payments vary. For Fiscal Year 2025, the maximum monthly benefit is $292 for a one-person household and $975 for a four-person household. The exact amount a household receives depends on income and household size. In Fiscal Year 2024, the average monthly SNAP benefit was about $188 per person.

There is no one-source statistical website showing how many Middlesex Borough residents face loss of their federal food assistance. But from extrapolating other available online numbers, an educated guess can be made.

It appears reasonable to conclude that hundreds of Middlesex Borough households receive SNAP benefits.

Middlesex County includes 305,610 households. Of those, 24,500 receive SNAP benefits, or about 8% of the total.

Middlesex Borough comprises 5,580 households. If 5% receive SNAP funding, that would be roughly 280 local households.

County figures show there are 2.6 people, on average, in each SNAP-recipient home. In 280 households, that would mean 728 people relying on federal food assistance. Middlesex Borough’s total population is about 14,500.

With the potential SNAP shutoff looming, borough officials said food assistance pleas would be directed to Replenish, the Middlesex County-run program that supports local food pantries. The matter was discussed at the Borough Council’s Tuesday, Oct. 28 meeting.

Police Chief Matt Geist noted his department has historically held food drives to support Replenish and is in the midst of one this month. Food insecurity is “a serious thing,” he said, adding, “It affects our neighbors.”

“I’m on daily phone calls at this point about what’s happening with SNAP,” Voorhees Avenue resident Jennifer Clock, told the governing body. “One of the things they’re talking about is turning to local pantries.” Clock, a Republican council candidate in next month’s general election, said she works for a food pantry elsewhere in New Jersey.

Clock said anyone needing assistance can dial 211. That number connects New Jersey callers to a statewide, comprehensive information and referral service that provides 24/7 assistance with a wide range of community services, including housing, food, utilities, healthcare, and crisis support. This service is free, confidential, and multilingual, and can also be accessed through text, chat, and email via the NJ 211 website. 

The Replenish website lists three nearby pantries that it supports, one in Middlesex Borough and two more in Dunellen. A fourth food pantry that had been operated at the Middlesex Elks is closed currently due to flooding earlier this year. The open pantries are:

• First Bilingual SDA Church Food Pantry, 111 Howard Ave., Middlesex. Phone: 732-629-8065
  Website: https://www.firstbilingual.org/serve/food-pantry
  Hours of Operation: Third Sunday of the month 9 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (by appointment). Households can receive assistance twice per month. Food and household assistance is based on availability. Open to Middlesex County residents and those in need by appointment for curbside
  pickup. Submit requests online (web address above), phone or text 732-629-8065.
  .
• First Presbyterian Church of Dunellen in partnership with Beginning World Changers, 214 Dunellen Ave., Dunellen. Phone: 732-968-3844 ext. 103. Hours of Operation: 4th Wednesday of the month, 11:45 a.m. until supplies last. Food available to Middlesex County residents in need. 

• Living Hope Outreach Center, 201 Whittier Ave., Dunellen. Phone: 732-424-7363. Hours of Operation: 2nd Saturday of every month, 11 a.m. until supplies last.

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