The Need Didn’t Go Away. Access Did.

I just read that SNAP participation fell by more than 4.5 million people in less than a year.

The need didn't go away. Access did.I've been sitting with that 4.5 million number all day, and if I'm honest, I'm worried.

No one I know in this work believes hunger is suddenly getting better. If anything, we're hearing the opposite. Hunger remains high, even as access to one of our country's most important nutrition programs has become harder for many families to maintain.

The 4.5 million figure is an estimate from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, based largely on USDA data. It reflects the decline in SNAP participation between July 2025 and April 2026.Everything I've read this week points to changes in eligibility, program rules, and access as major reasons for the decline. These numbers don't necessarily mean fewer families need food. They may mean fewer families are able to receive the benefits they're eligible for.

Denis McDonough, CEO of Feeding America, made an important distinction in Axios this week: declining SNAP participation is not necessarily evidence that fewer people need help. It may instead reflect that the program has become harder for eligible families to access.That's the part I can't stop thinking about.

The families haven't disappeared.

The system has changed.

I lead a free grocery store at The Store, and the neighbors walking through our doors haven't disappeared either. Our numbers have been steadily growing. I can't help but wonder how many are coming to us because they can no longer access benefits they once relied on.Moments like this remind me that when one door becomes harder to walk through, another has to be there.Because the need is still here. It's growing. And our community—free grocery stores, food pantries, churches, and so many other organizations—will feel it.