Learning Blueprint

Responding to a SNAP Benefits Disruption with Emergency Food Cards

A practical guide based on AdkAction’s 2025 Emergency Fair Food Card Pilot

When food assistance systems are disrupted, even briefly, families can quickly lose the resources they depend on to buy food.

In the fall of 2025, delays in SNAP benefit distribution created uncertainty for families across the Adirondack region of northern New York. Food pantries and other emergency providers responded quickly, but community partners recognized that some households were still falling through the cracks. In particular, AdkAction identified that some families would not be willing to visit a food pantry given the personal pride that dominates rural areas like ours, instead seeking a more discrete form of support.

AdkAction launched the Emergency Fair Food Card Pilot to help fill this gap. Working with school-based referral partners, we distributed prepaid food cards that families could use to purchase groceries like any other electronic tender during the SNAP disruption.

This Learning Blueprint shares the lessons we learned so other organizations can design similar emergency food assistance programs in their own communities.

Who This Learning Blueprint Is For

This guide is designed for organizations working to improve food access and respond to food insecurity, and those preparing for short-term disruptions in public benefits. Examples include:

Nonprofits addressing hunger and food insecurity
Food systems organizations
School districts and community school programs
Rural development organizations
Local governments responding to emergency food needs
Community foundations and regional funders

The Problem: SNAP Benefit Delays Create Immediate Food Gaps

Public food assistance programs such as SNAP provide essential support for millions of households. When benefits are delayed or disrupted, families can suddenly lose the purchasing power they rely on for groceries.

In late 2025, many families in the Adirondacks were unsure whether their SNAP benefits would arrive on time. Food pantries experienced increased demand, but school staff and community partners noticed that some families were not using those services, or other more visible school-based aid like “backpack programs.”

Several barriers were common:

Stigma associated with food pantries or backpack programs
Pantry hours that conflict with work schedules
Transportation challenges in rural areas
A preference for privacy and independence when purchasing food

Many households had the ability to cook and store food at home. What they lacked was short-term grocery purchasing power.

The challenge was to provide fast, flexible emergency food assistance that respected family choice and dignity.

Program Background

Project: Emergency Fair Food Card Pilot

Year: 2025

Region: Adirondack Park and surrounding North Country communities in northern New York. The Adirondack State Park region includes 100+ small, rural towns, long travel distances, and limited grocery store density in some areas. Schools often serve as central community hubs and trusted connections to families.

AdkAction used its existing Fair Food Card system, which relies on prepaid, debit-style payment cards, to quickly launch the emergency pilot.

Timeline: Beginning November 7, 2025, AdkAction distributed 112 prepaid cards loaded with $100 each to families across eleven school districts. Recipients had until the end of the year to use the funds.

Families could use the cards only at participating grocery stores and regional food vendors. Any funds not spent on the cards at the close of the program was returned back to AdkAction’s account for future aid spending.

To be approved, vendors must be local, independent grocery stores or farm stands that serve local products or fresh produce. Vendors are vetted by AdkAction staff and onboarded onto the Fair Food Card Network.

Why Schools Worked as Referral Partners

Schools played a critical role in the success of this program.

Teachers, counselors, and school support staff often understand the challenges families face even when those families do not formally request assistance. In many communities, schools are one of the most trusted institutions families interact with regularly.

School-based referral partners included:

Guidance counselors
School nurses
Student support staff
School principals and superintendents
Community school coordinators

Instead of requiring families to apply directly, schools proactively identified households they believed would benefit from temporary food assistance. This approach allowed the program to quickly reach families who might not otherwise access emergency food programs to prioritize limited aid dollars.

Infrastructure Needed for an Emergency Food Card Program

Organizations interested in launching a similar program should ensure several key resources are in place.

Payment system: AdkAction used prepaid cards that could be loaded with funds and tracked for spending.

Trusted referral partners: Schools worked well because staff already had relationships with local families.

Vendor participation: Grocery stores and regional food vendors must be able to accept electronic payment, and specifically, the debit-style cards in use.

Administrative capacity: Time is required for partner coordination, card distribution, communication, and data tracking.

For the Emergency Fair Food Card Pilot:

112 cards were distributed
$11,200 in emergency food assistance was provided
Approximately 100 AdkAction staff hours supported program implementation

What Happened: Program Outcomes

Between November 2025 and early January 2026:

62% of funds were spent during the emergency window

Utilization rates varied across school districts. Communities with multiple grocery options and easier transportation saw higher spending rates.

Family feedback was very positive. Survey respondents reported that the cards reduced stress and helped them purchase fresh foods and household staples.

Many participants said the program felt more flexible and more dignified than traditional emergency food programs.

School referral partners also strongly supported the model and expressed interest in participating again if similar programs were offered.

A Key Lesson for Rural Food Access Programs

The pilot revealed an important pattern. Spending was highest in districts where families had convenient access to participating vendors. Utilization was lower in communities with fewer grocery options or longer travel distances. This suggests that transportation and vendor availability are major factors in rural food access programs. The primary barrier was not lack of need. It was physical access to places where families could use the cards.

Organizations planning similar programs should carefully evaluate vendor density and transportation barriers before launching.

Common Challenges to Expect

Organizations developing an emergency food card program should anticipate several challenges:

Transportation barriers: Families in rural areas may need to travel long distances to reach grocery stores or participating vendors.

Vendor participation: Small farms and specialty food vendors may see fewer transactions than grocery stores with broader selection and longer hours.

Program communication: Families and vendors benefit from clear instructions about how the program works and where cards can be used.

Trust in new systems: When people encounter a new payment card or unfamiliar program, they may initially hesitate to participate.

What We Would Do Differently Next Time

Several improvements could strengthen future emergency food assistance programs:

Proactively expand the vendor network: Including more independently owned grocery stores and accessible retailers can improve card utilization before an emergency arises.

Design programs around transportation realities: Organizations should evaluate how far families can realistically travel to shop.

Build referral partnerships before emergencies occur: Formal partnerships with schools and community organizations can speed program deployment.

Improve participant materials: Simple instructions, vendor lists, and FAQs help families understand how to use the cards.

Increase trust in the program: Branded cards and professionally designed materials may improve credibility with both families and vendors.

Key Takeaways

The Emergency Fair Food Card Pilot shows that debit-style prepaid cards can provide fast and flexible emergency food assistance during SNAP benefit delays or other disruptions.

Several lessons stand out:

Schools are highly effective referral partners
Families value the freedom to shop for their own food
Existing infrastructure allows organizations to respond quickly during emergencies
Transportation and vendor access strongly affect success in rural regions

Programs do not need to be perfect to make a difference and generate valuable insights. Sharing lessons openly can help other communities design stronger responses to food insecurity.

Accelerating Action

AdkAction shares Learning Blueprints so communities facing similar scenarios can adapt successful ideas and build stronger programs.

If your organization is exploring emergency food card programs or other innovative food access solutions and wishes to solicit help to tailor your approach, we encourage you to reach out to our team to explore if our technical assistance may be beneficial.

Together we can accelerate solutions that improve food access and strengthen communities.

Start the conversation: [email protected]