If you use SNAP:
TAKE ACTION BY MAY 1ST! If you are using SNAP or have a Link card, the rules have changed. Make sure your information is up to date and confirm that you are meeting new requirements.
Follow the steps at saveoursnap.org.
Need help with your case or having issues contacting IDHS? Call the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Benefits Specialists at 773-247-3663 or visit their website for a list of food pantries and other resources.
If you need food assistance and are in the Evanston area, Connections has two food pantries open five days a week.
What’s happening to SNAP?
New SNAP work requirements enacted by the current administration went into effect on May 1, 2026, and according to Legal Aid Chicago, roughly 120,000 people in Illinois had their SNAP benefits terminated because they didn’t reapply or meet the new work requirements. The changes will inevitably increase food insecurity for many households, including members of the Connections community.
The rollout of the new rules has created confusion for the people that we serve, case managers and other service providers. We believe many people receiving our services are exempt from the new work requirements because they qualify as chronically homeless or have a long-term disability, but the determination process has been inconsistent. According to Chief Programs Officer Tina White, who recently spoke to the Evanston Roundtable, one of our participants was kicked off SNAP, despite meeting the exemptions criteria and filing an appeal.
Right now, we know about 1,100 people in our system receive SNAP benefits. Another 2,500 people use our drop-in services but are not connected to ongoing case management, so we don't know their SNAP status. That means the true number of people affected could be much higher than what we're currently tracking.
So far, case managers have seen a major increase in reapplications and requests for documentation. We're grateful for their commitment to helping people obtain the food assistance they need for themselves and their families.
October 2025
Food insecurity doesn’t shut down when the government does.
Update as of 10/31: We've just heard that two federal courts have ordered the federal government to make SNAP payments instead of cutting them, but it's impossible to know how soon those payments will arrive or if the federal government might defy these orders. Our food pantries were regularly running out of supplies even before the threat to SNAP benefits materialized, so we're forging ahead with our campaign to bring in additional donations of groceries and funds to address food insecurity in our community. So please keep the support coming!
Need help with groceries?
We have two food pantries in Evanston that are open to the public. Supplies are on a first come first serve basis.
Follow the links for hours and additional information about the pantries at Hilda’s Place and 2121 Dewey.
If you’re already working with a Connections case manager, talk to them about more ways to get grocery assistance.
Want to help a neighbor?
We’re anticipating a huge influx of neighbors turning to our food pantries for their groceries because of the government shutdown and the loss of SNAP benefits starting November 1.
Help us replace missing SNAP benefits for neighbors by signing up to drop off groceries or making a monetary donation.
What is SNAP?
SNAP, also sometimes referred to as ‘food stamps’, stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This is a federal program designed to provide nutrition assistance to low-income individuals and families. Currently, approximately 42 million Americans use SNAP benefits to pay for their groceries.