Vermont food-security advocates ask Senate committee for $5M to shore up emergency food response after SNAP lapse
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Summary
Witnesses told the Senate Government Operations Committee that Vermont needs recurring funding to prepare for federal SNAP disruptions and climate-driven disasters; the Vermont Food Bank and partners requested $5 million for FY27, including $1 million for a 'ready response' fund to buy, store and distribute emergency food supplies.
Advocates for Vermont’s food-security network urged the Senate Committee on Government Operations on Feb. 5 to back a $5 million state funding package to strengthen emergency food-response capacity and protect residents after a November lapse in federal SNAP benefits.
Carrie Sailor, identified in testimony as working for 'Vermont Shoebank,' told the committee that when federal SNAP payments paused last November the state’s response resembled an urgent disaster mobilization. "We had 48 hours to purchase food from whatever sources were available," she said, describing rapid purchases, long drives to out-of-state grocery wholesalers and partners repacking and delivering supplies under severe time pressure.
Sailor said the state deployed $6,000,000 in emergency benefits and the legislature later appropriated $250,000 to the Vermont Food Bank network for immediate purchases. She asked lawmakers to include $1,000,000 in FY27 for a ready-response fund as part of a broader $5,000,000 request that would also support network stability and planning.
"Investing in this existing network will have a multiplier effect," Ivy Enoch, director of policy and advocacy at Hungry Food Vermont, told the committee, linking emergency readiness to ongoing food security and local economic benefits.
Stella James, executive director of the Hardwick Area Food Pantries, described operating three pantries across four counties and said supply chains and donated-food sources were quickly exhausted during the pause. "Food disappeared from our shelves at alarming rates," James said, and outlined needs including refrigerated storage, backup generators and prepositioned emergency stocks.
Committee members pressed witnesses on coordination with Vermont Emergency Management. Testimony said VEM has been supportive but lacks the operational capacity to deliver the type of food-response distribution the nonprofit network provides; witnesses suggested formal planning and shared assumptions about storage, transport and activation triggers. Witnesses also said food-response language exists in Vermont’s emergency statute, enacted about three years ago, and recommended continued agency collaboration.
The committee did not take action on the funding request during the session. Senators noted that the Government Operations Committee is not the appropriations committee and discussed preparing a committee letter to the Appropriations Committee outlining support for the food-security requests.
Next steps: committee staff said they would collect written testimony for the record and the committee will resume with S.164 after a short recess.
