WESTFORD — The waiting room for the Westford Food Pantry was filled on Nov. 5 when 65 families in need arrived to receive help — well over the number for a typical pantry session on a Wednesday evening.
It was just a few days after an announcement by President Donald Trump’s administration that the assistance many relied on to afford groceries, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), would only be partially funded as the longest-ever U.S. government shutdown drags on. Prior to court rulings, the administration had indicated it would not fund November SNAP benefits at all and has appealed recent rulings to fully fund SNAP during the shutdown.
Over the weekend, Massachusetts was one of the states to issue November SNAP payments. Some households that missed payments should now have them on their EBT cards and those funds should be available to use, according to mass.gov. SNAP households that did not receive payments should receive them between Nov. 10 and Nov. 14 on their normal schedule, according to state officials.
But this situation is fluid, as is the situation with the government shutdown, so people should check mass.gov for updates.
Most people sat silently or talked quietly with others in the Cameron Senior Center where the Westford Food Pantry regularly holds pantry hours to provide people with food items at no cost.
A toddler took a few brave steps to say “hi.” A senior woman said she had never had to use a food pantry until recently and wiped tears from her eyes after mentioning how caring and helpful the Town of Westford social worker has been.
People waiting to receive free groceries shared stories of unexpected medical problems, losing their jobs, caring for adults who have special needs and dipping deeply into their savings.
Pantry volunteers set out a basket of Halloween candy, helped people through the aisles of fresh produce, including carrots and peppers, and ushered them into a smaller pantry space to select nonperishables like canned tuna and pasta.
“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Lynn Roderick, vice president of the Westford Food Pantry and a volunteer coordinator, as she helped keep the line moving.
In October 2025, the Westford Food Pantry had 383 visits that month, prior to the November changes to SNAP, said Tim Baker, the nonprofit’s president. He said the uncertainty of what is happening with SNAP is likely the reason they had more people on Nov. 5.
(In the photo at the top of this article, Tim Baker, president of the Westford Food Pantry, is in front of some of the nonperishable items provided. Photo: WestfordCAT Jennifer Nejman Bohonak).
One Unexpected Event
Alison Christopher, the Town of Westford’s social worker, said she has worked for the town about 14 years, and since then, she has noticed that the pressures of the high cost of living are keeping some Westford families living close to the edge.
“A lot of crises are caused by one unexpected expense, like a car repair, or one life event,” Christopher said. “Then, they very quickly can’t pay their rent.”
She’s also noticed that lately some people she has spoken to were successfully employed with good salaries, but after losing their jobs, they have had very long unemployment gaps as they search for work.
Gary Ball, a Vietnam veteran and a Westford resident, said he had been laid off of his job for a few months when he suffered a mild stroke and could not work.
He and his wife had qualified for SNAP benefits. But on Nov. 5, their SNAP debit card only had $13 left. They didn’t know yet if they would receive more assistance, so they came to the food pantry for help.
“This should not be happening in this country,” Ball said. “Nobody in this country should be hungry. Nobody.”
Nearby, Brendan McGann of Westford talked with others waiting to shop for groceries. McGann said he had been using SNAP to get by and it was enough, but with the uncertainty with benefits, he needed help with groceries.
In January 2025, McGann had a major heart attack and he has to meet certain medical checkpoints before he returns to his job as a warehouse manager, which he said also was very stressful. Over the past years, he has been dealing with the negative effects of long-COVID and lost his wife and father to cancer in the same year.
Now, he and his mother live together and are doing what they can to support his adolescent daughter.
“I was blown away when I looked at the data of how many people are on SNAP,” McGann said. “I worry about the little kids and older people.”
Who Uses SNAP?
Gov. Maura Healy shared data on who uses the SNAP program in Massachusetts in her efforts to call on the federal government to return the funding.
More than 1.1 million Massachusetts residents rely on SNAP to afford food. Of that group, 32% are children, 26% are seniors, 31% are people with disabilities and 21,000 SNAP recipients in the state are veterans.
Throughout the U.S. in fiscal year 2024, SNAP served an average of 41.7 million participants per month, according to USDA Economic Research Service data.
In Westford, 1,086 residents are eligible for SNAP, according to Westford Remembers. The Merrimack Valley Food Bank representative provided a similar number.
Westford Responds with Generosity
“You look at Westford as a rather wealthy town and don’t think about people falling through the cracks,” said Nancy Cook, treasurer of Westford Remembers.
But Cook, who is involved in the local nonprofit, knows some people are hurting and that is why she said Westford Remembers has a fundraising goal of $60,000 to help SNAP recipients who live in Westford.
As of the morning of Nov. 9, the group had raised $20,270, most of it in a few days, Cook said.
“Our goal is to give each individual person on SNAP a $50 gift card,” she said. For a family a four on SNAP that would be $200 dollars, she said, adding they are giving gift cards for Market Basket.
Cook acknowledged that $200 is not “a huge amount” for a family trying to buy groceries each week, but said the group wanted to do something to help.
Westford Remembers posted information about their SNAP fundraising drive on Westford-centered Facebook pages. The group has already purchased $5,000 worth of grocery gift cards and started delivering them to Christopher at the senior center for distribution to individuals and families in need of food assistance.
Westford Remembers raises money for different projects, many which are focused on raising awareness and helping veterans.
“Every time I post something and say we need help, people in this town always rise to the occasion,” Cook said.
At Seoul Kitchen in Westford and Leominster, owner Jay Chung and staff management decided to offer free takeout meals for federal workers who are not getting paid during the shutdown and people using SNAP. In an online post, Chung said, he knows the local community’s support makes his business successful and he wanted to help the community.
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, Seoul Kitchen is offering a free takeout meal for a family of four of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, including Korean handmade dumplings, beef bulgogi, vegetable yaki udon and two sides of rice, said Kevin Choi, Seoul Kitchen’s assistant manager at the Westford location.
He said the value is more than $70 and the limit is one “Community Takeout Meal” per family per day.
On Tuesday, the first day Seoul Kitchen began this program, they gave out more than 300 meals between the two locations, Choi said. They were not prepared for the response, he said.
Chung, Seoul Kitchen’s owner, said the two restaurant locations plan to continue offering the “Community Takeout Meal” as long as the shutdown continues and until the SNAP benefits come back.
This week, they are changing the way to receive a meal and advising people not to call in.
Chung said that people can just come to one of the Seoul Kitchen locations on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to pick up the “Community Takeout Meal,” which can feed a family of four. The meals will be ready for pick up, he said. When they arrive, they can show their federal ID or SNAP EBT card, he said.
Chung said the feedback from the community has been “phenomenal.” He added that Seoul Kitchen’s management did not start this to collect donations, but due to the interest in donating, they have placed a donate button on their website and donations will help support the effort.
On its website, Fuchi Asian Cuisine also has information for how SNAP recipients can receive “Family Takeout Meals” every Sunday and Monday night. The restaurant is offering General Gao chicken, pork fried rice, veggie low mein and white rice.
Demand at Local Food Bank Increasing. Food Bank Cannot Make-up for SNAP
Recently, the phones have been ringing off the hook at the Merrimack Valley Food Bank in Lowell, Mass., said Kelly Proulx, director of communications for the food bank.
“We’ve been really overwhelmed with phone calls and emails. We’ve had people walking in our door,” Proulx said, adding it is the busiest the food bank has ever been.
During past federal government shutdowns, there has never been a stoppage or disruption of benefits to help people who cannot afford healthy food.
“A lot of them have not needed to access food pantries before, so they are not even sure where to begin,” Proulx said.
The Merrimack Valley Food Bank works with organizations, like the Westford Food Pantry that distribute food in local communities.
Proulx said there are often misconceptions about who uses the SNAP program. SNAP is a supplemental program, so it only provides money to partially cover grocery expenses, she said, adding individuals often move off the program when their situation changes.
“By bridging that gap and filling that need (to help pay for food bills), SNAP allows them to look for work or finish school—to do what they need to do to meet their goals and move forward without needing SNAP going forward,” she said.
Proulx said that the Merrimack Valley Food Bank and other regional food banks in Massachusetts are doing what they can, but they cannot fill the gap left by incomplete SNAP funding.
Nationally, food banks provide about one meal for every nine that SNAP provides, Proulx said.
In addition, there were cuts made to SNAP this summer after the passage of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” which President Trump touted, that will start reducing SNAP through restrictions, including not permitting it for refugees, who are legally present immigrants.
But for the most part, SNAP is a program that helps U.S. citizens, Proulx said.
Baker of the Westford Food Pantry greeted each client with gentleness and respect as he helped them select their groceries. He said the food pantry is grateful for Westford’s generosity.
“This continued support during these uncertain times makes it possible for us to feed families, bring hope and ensure that no one in our community goes hungry,” Baker said.
To make a donation visit:
Donations of nonperishable food items and checks can also be dropped off at the Cameron Senior Center, 20 Pleasant Street, Westford. The food pantry is open to the public for those in need. It operates at Cameron Senior Center on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Cameron Senior Center, 20 Pleasant Street, Westford.
The Cameron Senior Center also runs a food program, supported by donations from retail grocery stores, for people age 55 and older on Mondays and Thursdays.
Westford Remembers SNAP fundraiser
Seoul Kitchen Community Takeout Meal
Town of Westford resources on how to donate and find food assistance.
Jennifer Nejman Bohonak, who wrote this story, is also a part-time writer for The Greater Boston Food Bank.
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