Where to find food in Seacoast NH and Maine if SNAP benefits stop

New clients are seeking assistance from Seacoast food pantries due to the four-week-long U.S. government shutdown and the looming halt of federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

On Nov. 1, federal funding for SNAP is set to cease. See a list of Seacoast food pantries at the end of this story that are working to help provide what people need.

“What’s really happening is that we have more need than we’ve ever seen and less federal support than we’ve ever felt,” said Megan Shapiro Ross, executive director of Footprints food pantry in Kittery, Maine. “That is creating emotionally a sense of anxiety, uncertainty, insecurity for families who are having to choose between food and groceries, housing, fuel assistance, medical care, transportation costs and just feeling continuously stressed by how they’re going to make ends meet.”

Footprints is located near the second gate accessing Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Navy’s oldest public shipyard. Three to four dozen households with shipyard ties have sought Footprints’ help since the shutdown took effect Oct. 1, first-time clients who are feeling the effects of missing paychecks.

Thanksgiving is approaching, causing families to ponder whether they’ll be able to put on a holiday meal.

“The shutdown and the non-administration of SNAP benefits will just cause the private sector to have to fill in the gaps where the public sector once was supporting,” Shapiro Ross added. “It taxes our system so greatly and the community members. We just can’t do without the federal support, and at this time we’re being forced to.”

Food pantries across Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine were feeling the heat, even before SNAP funding is set to run out.

Gather sees bigger demand in its new home due to shutdown

Gather, a Portsmouth food pantry, launched what it is touting as New England’s first community food center facility this fall, relocating from its smaller former headquarters.

Anne Hayes, Gather’s executive director, joined the nonprofit in September 2022. At that time, about 30 to 35 households a day were coming in to Gather to shop at the food pantry’s former home on West Road. This year, up until the time Gather left for its new Heritage Avenue center, between 60 to 65 households were utilizing the agency’s pantry.

The call for help has since exploded at Gather. According to Hayes, since Gather opened the doors to its new community food center, approximately 150 households are using the food pantry each day. Dating back to Oct. 6, 1,358 households have turned to Gather for help with food.

Those figures don’t account for Gather’s mobile food market clients, and that’s before SNAP funding from the federal government ends.

“It feels like there’s not a moment to breathe if we want to really help people,” Hayes said.

Gather additionally counted 267 people who picked up free prepared meals on Tuesday, Oct. 28, Hayes reported.

Local civilian employees of the shipyard, the National Passport Center and Pease Air National Guard Base are among Gather’s list of new households in need of support.

Over 75,000 New Hampshire residents receive SNAP benefits, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Had Gather not expanded and moved, Hayes believes agency volunteers would have needed to turn people away at the door under the present demand.

“I would say I’m nervous. We’ll do everything we possibly can and we’ll be there for people. It’s going to take a lot. That’s probably true of every food access organization in the state and in this country,” Hayes said. “I’m sure everyone is feeling that.”

St. Vincent de Paul in Exeter sees demand double

Deb Connolly is the social services assistant at St. Vincent de Paul in Exeter, a community assistance center and food pantry. The organization also financially assists people from Exeter, Stratham, Newfields, Brentwood, Kensington and East Kingston.

Nervous calls from SNAP recipients have been placed to St. Vincent de Paul as November approaches.

The pantry typically feeds 18 to 20 households on a given day, but those numbers have doubled recently, Connolly said.

“Overall cost of living, they’re panicked,” Connolly said. “Then when we heard about the SNAP (funding), it just made everything 100 times worse for them. People are coming in because they can’t pay their rent and they’re worried about getting evicted. Obviously we’re telling them to stop buying their food, to come in here and save their money.”

“Food is not a policy. It’s not a partisan topic. Food is a basic right for humans and it cannot be toyed around with as a bargaining chip, especially for people living in communities working full-time and then do not have access to their basic needs. It’s just not a bargaining chip. It’s a public right,” Shapiro Ross added.

Seacoast food pantry hours

St. Vincent de Paul of Exeter

• Address: 53 Lincoln St., Exeter, NH
• Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-noon; Monday and Wednesday, 7-8 p.m. Seniors-only hours second Tuesday of each month 10 a.m.-noon.
• Contact: 603-772-9922
• Requirements: Call the center or visit to request informaiton on becoming a client.
• Website: svdpexeter.com

St. Vincent de Paul of Hampton

• Address: 289 Lafayette Road, Hampton, NH
• Hours: 10 a.m.-noon on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, except holidays.
• Contact: 603-929-4427
• Requirements: Applicants are interviewed in person or by telephone. If the applicants are eligible for assistance, they are given an appointment.
• Website: svdphampton.com/food-pantry

Community Action Partnership of Strafford County (Dover)

• Address: 577 Central Avenue, Dover, NH
• Hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.
• Contact: (603) 435-2500 (Ext. 8136)
• Requirements: To register to use the food pantry please call Bridget Pote ​at (207) 384-4324 or call (207) 651-5171.
• Website: straffordcap.org/food-pantries

Community Action Partnership of Strafford County (Rochester)

• Address: 10 Cold Spring Manor, Rochester
• Hours: Tuesdays, noon to 4 p.m.
• Website: straffordcap.org/food-pantries

Dover Food Pantry

• Address: 1 Silver St., Dover, NH
• Hours: Tuesday 3-5 p.m.; Thursday 9-11 a.m.
• Requirement: Serving anyone in need in Dover, NH area.
• Contact: (603) 749-7827 or [email protected].
• Website: facebook.com/DoverFoodPantry

Footprints (Kittery)

• Address: 22 Shapleigh Road, Kittery, Maine
• Hours: Mondays from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Requirement: All clients must complete a short registration process at the Footprints food pantry.
• Contact: (207) 439-4763
• Website: footprintsfoodpantry.org

Gather (Portsmouth)

• Address: 124 Heritage Ave., Portsmouth, NH
• Hours: Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Requirement: Bring proof of residency or employment in New Hampshire or Maine.
• Contact: (603) 436-0641
• Website: gathernh.org

Operation Blessing (Portsmouth)

• Address: 600A Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, NH
• Hours: Wednesdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Fridays 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m.-noon
• Contact: (603) 430-8561 or [email protected]
• Website: operationblessingnh.org/food

Seeds of Faith Food Pantry (Rollinsford)

• Address: 1 Front Street, Rollinsford, NH
• Hours: Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Third Thursday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m.
• Requirement: No identification or proof of residency required.
• Contact: (207) 703-3185
• Website: lydiashousenh.org/food-pantry

Share Fund Food Pantry, Rochester

• Address: 50 Wakefield St., Rochester, NH
• Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Fridays 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
• Requirement: A picture ID, basic contact information, a list of any food allergies.
• Contact: Call directly 603-330-3468; or email [email protected].
• Website: sharefund.org/qualify-for-food-pantry.

First Church Congregational Food Pantry, Rochester

• Address: 63 South Main St., Rochester, NH
• Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Contact: (603) 332-1121
• Website: first-ucc.net/outreach

Community Food Pantry, Somersworth

• Address: 76 West High St., Somersworth, NH (Serving Somersworth, Rollinsford and South Berwick.)
• Hours: Monday 10 a.m.-noon, Wednesday 6-8 p.m., Thursday 3-5 p.m.
• Contact: 603-692-2907.

Saint Thomas More Food Pantry, Durham

• Address: 6 Madbury Road Durham, NH
• Hours: Thursdays 4-6 p.m.
• Contact: 603-868-2666
• Website: stmdurham.org/about-us/food-pantry

Cornucopia Food Pantry at The Waysmeet Center (Durham)

• Address: 15 Mill Road, Durham, NH
• Hours: Mondays 1-4 p.m., Tuesdays 3-6 p.m., Fridays noon-2 p.m.
• Requirement: No identification or proof of residency required.
• Contact: (603) 868-1216
• Website: waysmeetcenter.org/programs

York Community Service Association Food Pantry

• Address: 855 U.S. Route 1, York, Maine
• Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Contact: Maureen Monsen, 207-363-5504 ext. 3 or [email protected]. Email grocery list to Monsen before coming to pantry. See information on website.
• Website: ycsame.org/food-pantry

Neighbors Food Pantry, Eliot

• Address: Eliot Baptist Church, 912 Harold L. Dow Highway, Eliot, Maine
• Hours: Thursdays 9:30 a.m.-noon and 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• Requirements: No proof of residency, appointments or sign-up required.
• Contact: (207) 748-1248
• Website: eliotbaptistchurch.com/neighbors-food-pantry

South Berwick Community Food Pantry

• Address: 47 Ross St,, South Berwick
• Hours: Thursdays 6-7:30 p.m.; Fridays 10-11:30 a.m.
• Contact: (207) 384-2193
• Website: sobocentral.org/foodpantry.html

In addition, free meals are offered as many locations, including:

• A Common Table: St John’s Episcopal Church at 101 Chapel St. in Portsmouth, noon-1 p.m. Thursdays.
• Seacoast Community Lunch: Middle Street Baptist Church at 18 Court St. in Portsmouth, noon-1 p.m. Wednesdays.

Do you know more local food pantries? Email new[email protected] or new[email protected] so we can add them to this list.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald. Reporting by Ian Lenahan.