Fall Forward 2026: The need did not end when the shutdown did

Last November, when SNAP benefits were put on hold, we gave every SNAP shopper $80 in tokens each market day so families could keep buying groceries. By the end of the month, we had provided more than $14,000 in food to our neighbors. Your support through last year’s Fall Forward campaign made that possible.

We are worried it could happen again

Last year showed us how quickly families can lose the help they count on. When federal funding stops, SNAP stops with it, and families are left with nothing on their cards. Federal budget fights have not gone away, and we are concerned another shutdown could leave families in the same place.

If it happens again, we want to be ready on day one. That means having the money set aside before a crisis, not scrambling to raise it after families are already going without.

The need is already growing

Even without a shutdown, things are harder now. About 1.4 million people in North Carolina receive food assistance, including about 580,000 children.

Since last December, the rules have gotten much tighter. Adults ages 18 to 64 without dependents under 14 now must work, volunteer, or train at least 80 hours a month to keep their benefits. The state Department of Health and Human Services told lawmakers it expects 90,000 adults in North Carolina to lose benefits under the new work requirements.

Here in Guilford County, the impact has been severe. In April, Guilford County had 12,812 fewer SNAP participants than a year earlier, the largest decline in the Triad. Food pantry leaders in Guilford County say the need has surged over the past several months.

Fewer people on SNAP does not mean fewer people are hungry. Even before these changes, 15.2% of Guilford County residents were food insecure, about 82,510 people, including 27,110 children.

Most of the people losing help are not out of work. Many SNAP recipients work low-wage jobs or several part-time jobs. Rent, utilities, gas, and heat keep going up. Those bills have to be paid, so food is often the only place families can cut back.

What we do at the market

For many years, our SNAP match and Orange Card programs have helped families stretch their food budgets. We match SNAP purchases up to $15 per visit, and we serve about 40 to 50 food-insecure families every week. Every dollar they spend goes straight to the farmers who grow the food.

One gift feeds a family and supports a local farm at the same time. One hundred percent of what you give stays right here in Greensboro.

How you can help

Give monthly. A monthly gift gives us steady support we can plan around all year, including a reserve if benefits are cut off again. Even $10 or $25 a month makes a difference.
Give once. A one-time gift of any size helps right away.

Then, please share this with friends who want their giving to go directly to families in our own community.

Thank you for standing with us last year. We are counting on you again.

Christina Caltigrione

George Smith

GFM Board of Directors Co-Chairs

Fall Forward Campaign 2026

Here for every family, every Saturday