In the first weekend of November, during the government shutdown, a blind elderly man walked into his usual Brooklyn grocery store. He asked the clerk, who knows him by name, to check the balance on his EBT card, which he uses to access food assistance funds. The shutdown had likely stopped his payment, but he still hoped there might be something there.

There wasn’t; the card was empty.

“I’ll just get a couple of bananas today,” he said softly.

Even in the best of times, government benefits are not enough. SNAP (what used to be called “food stamps”) is refilled each month — including for the 74,000 Jewish households in the New York area who rely on it — yet it rarely stretches far. By week four, the 13 online pantries in our network, serving 39 satellites, are inundated with requests for food. When the system is disrupted, as it was during the shutdown, the fragile line between “just enough” and “crisis” vanishes.

And while the shutdown is behind us, it was a preview of things to come, given new federal laws. Since the new laws were enacted last summer, UJA has been mapping out scenarios, working closely with social service providers across New York, and preparing for how we can best support vulnerable New Yorkers.

SNAP reductions are already underway, placing 300,000 households across New York State, and all the individuals within them, at risk of losing benefits. An estimated 10,000 Jewish households in our area may be directly affected. Medicaid changes will follow, with as many as 1.5 million New Yorkers projected to lose coverage.

These coverage reductions stem from stricter work requirements, higher age thresholds, fewer exemptions, and more frequent eligibility check-ins — all of which make staying enrolled harder, even for people who still qualify.

And what does this actually look like? Imagine a 63-year-old woman who pieces together a modest living from several part-time jobs with unreliable hours. She must maintain 80 hours of work each month and keep up with twice-yearly eligibility checks. If her shifts unexpectedly drop, SNAP will be cut off. If she can’t make the eligibility check-in because appointments are limited and she’s juggling jobs or caregiver responsibilities, SNAP will be cut off.

During the shutdown, adding to the $14 million UJA allocated this year to address poverty and food insecurity in New York, we provided $1 million in emergency funds to keep food pantries stocked and offer urgent cash assistance. Now, we’re planning to invest an additional $4 million in workforce development and volunteer programs to help people meet the new federal work requirements. On the healthcare front, we’re exploring how technology and AI can simplify enrollment and prevent gaps in care, while preparing to fund clinics to provide medical devices that many individuals will soon no longer be eligible to receive.

In every way possible, we'll continue to serve as a “safety net for the safety net,” leveraging relationships and expertise across our network to share best practices and develop solutions. Like our signature hubs in Brooklyn and Queens — where legal services, financial counseling, workforce support, and more are offered under one roof. That’s how we can help break the cycle of poverty, not just manage it.

We all know that as temperatures drop, the sting of poverty and food insecurity grows sharper. It’s the worry over heating bills. The absence of a warm coat or boots. Meals that don’t quite fill, and illnesses that linger longer than they should.

During these short days, Hanukkah arrives with a reprieve. On Sunday evening, we’ll kindle the first light, cutting through the darkness. 

One little candle, though, can it really make a difference?

The Talmud teaches, “Ner echad, ner l’me'ah”— “one candle can benefit 100 people.” We are taught that a single light can be magnified, its glow extending far beyond its source. Kindness illuminates the path to kindness. Generosity ignites more generosity.

While our community’s support can never replace the essential role of government resources and benefits, we can, in our focused and purposeful way, be that single candle that sparks a blaze of good for so many.  

Shabbat shalom and happy Hanukkah