Community steps up as SNAP pause brings added pressure to local food pantries
When SNAP benefits pause in November, Rockton’s Old Stone Church Food Pantry expects more families to need help. But volunteers say they’ve seen time and again how the community steps forward in moments like this.
The Old Stone Church Food Pantry, which has served local families for more than 30 years, is preparing for what could be one of its busiest seasons yet as federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be paused beginning Nov. 1, 2025 due to the ongoing government shutdown.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that no new SNAP benefits will be issued after Nov. 1 unless federal funding is restored. The potential lapse could affect millions of households nationwide and leave local families temporarily without assistance for groceries.
SNAP funding pause: what to know
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that no new SNAP benefits will be issued as of Nov. 1, 2025, unless federal funding is restored during the government shutdown. Benefits already loaded in October remain usable.
• Nearly 42 million Americans rely on SNAP each month for food assistance.
• In Illinois, about 1.94 million residents—roughly 15 percent of the state’s population—receive SNAP benefits.
• USDA officials confirmed that contingency funds cannot legally be used to cover regular SNAP benefits during a funding lapse.
• State agencies, including the Illinois Department of Human Services, were instructed by the USDA to pause November SNAP benefit distributions until Congress approves new funding.
• The potential interruption could affect families, seniors, and children across northern Illinois, prompting food pantries to prepare for higher demand.
Pantry Director Donn VanSchelven said the change will mean more people turning to community resources for help. The pantry at Old Stone Church, which operates entirely on donations and volunteer support, already serves families each week from Rockton, Roscoe, Shirland, South Beloit, Harrison, and Durand.
VanSchelven said the pantry is seeing more families come in each week, even as donations continue to improve. The need, he said, continues to rise across all age groups and situations.
The pantry does not receive government funding or food bank support, relying instead on local residents, churches, and businesses. “It’s the people here who make it work,” VanSchelven said. “This community always steps up — churches, residents, and businesses alike. They’ve kept it going all these years.”
Families facing financial strain often include single parents trying to balance work and childcare. VanSchelven said many of them are doing their best to find jobs that fit around multiple school and sports schedules while covering the growing costs of essentials. Others, including veterans and older adults living on fixed incomes, are struggling to keep up with higher prices.
More families are also moving back in together to get by, with parents, children, and grandparents sharing one home.
Among the pantry’s most requested items are cereal, peanut butter, canned meats, and shelf-stable proteins. “Anything that’s edible,” VanSchelven said.
What to donate
- Cereal
- Canned tuna, chicken, or meat
- Soup, chili, or stews
- Canned fruit or vegetables
- Pasta, rice, or boxed meals
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Crackers or granola bars
- Spices (chili powder, garlic, cumin, oregano, basil)
- Toiletries (soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes)
- Feminine hygiene products
- Snacks or easy-open foods for children
Pop-top cans appreciated.
In addition to weekly distributions, the pantry supports families through special programs such as Fill the Bus — a community food drive organized through local schools that collects canned goods and nonperishable items from students and families before the holidays — and a backpack program that provides easy-to-carry food items for students to take home each week.
The backpack program is a partnership with area schools. Counselors and social workers identify students who could benefit, and the pantry fills the bags with kid-friendly items like pasta, canned meals, fruit cups, and snacks. The schools review and update the list of participating families throughout the year to ensure help continues to reach those who need it most.
VanSchelven said moments of generosity from the community have carried the pantry for more than 30 years. “About five years in, one Thursday morning, I looked around and thought, ‘Oh boy, we don’t have enough,’” he said. “We were short on just about everything.”
Then, right before the doors opened, help arrived. “A Girl Scout troop from Sheridan showed up with bags and bags of food,” he said, smiling at the memory. “Fourteen girls carrying it all in — canned goods, boxes, everything. It was unbelievable.”
He said that kind of divine timing is what’s kept the pantry going all these years and shows just how deeply the community cares for one another.
He smiled. “It’s almost too easy,” he added. “Don’t give me a lot of credit. It’s the volunteers and our donors. They’re the ones who make this happen.”
Residents can support the Old Stone Church Food Pantry by donating nonperishable food items, toiletries, or funds, or by volunteering. Donations can be dropped off during pantry hours or arranged through the church office.
From packing bags to restocking shelves, Old Stone Church Food Pantry volunteers are preparing for heavier demand as SNAP benefits face a federal pause.
