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Town manager says ~700 residents could be affected if SNAP changes; food cupboard serving about 200
Summary
Town Manager Andrew Nada told the council staff is coordinating closely with the interfaith food cupboard and local partners as federal and state SNAP decisions create uncertainty; the town will publish resources and provide weekly updates to councilors.
Town Manager Andrew Nada told the East Greenwich Town Council the town is preparing for possible interruptions to SNAP benefits that could affect local families.
"We've got give or take around 700 or so individuals that are affected," Nada said, and added the town's partner at the interfaith food cupboard is consistently serving about 200 people. He said town staff have activated emergency-management coordination with senior services and faith-based partners to identify needs and help fill gaps if state or federal payments lapse.
The manager said the town is balancing privacy constraints in state data with the need to reach people who may be newly food insecure. He outlined short-term measures that include coordinating a potential local drive, using public-safety locations as donation drop-off sites, and standing up a central resource page for residents. "We're going to provide that information to all departments so that no matter where people call, they'll have some basic guidance," Nada said.
Councilors asked questions about the demographic makeup of those affected and requested weekly updates the manager can provide to the council and post on the town website. Staff agreed to prepare a one-page resource sheet that councilors can distribute and asked for direction on volunteer coordination and how the town might publicize red‑flag or high‑need days.
The town emphasized that while East Greenwich is not among the communities with the highest need in the state, local officials want to be ready if payments or eligibility rules change. Staff said additional outreach and data collection will continue over the coming weeks and that they will work with community partners to avoid duplicative drives and to channel monetary donations—important because the food cupboard is constrained in accepting protein and other temperature‑sensitive donations.
