Food pantries and dairy and produce giveaways are part of our COVID-19 new normal. But the numbers of folks applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has been holding steady, at least in Franklin and Essex counties.

SNAP, the contemporary name for the food stamp program, is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and issues electronic benefits that can be used in place of cash. Since April 2019, SNAP participants in New York state have also been able to select and purchase groceries online, a feature that became dramatically more important in March when New Yorkers were told to stay at home during the pandemic.

“We did see a little bit of a spike in March and April,” said Susie Drew, senior social services worker for Essex County, “but only about 150 more than normal.” She said the county’s SNAP enrollment holds steady at around 1,700.

The small increase in applications dropped back when the supplemental unemployment benefits were added in March as part of the federal CARES Act.

“Our numbers are actually fairly low,” said Drew.

In August, 1,709 individuals applied for SNAP in Essex County. In April the number was 1,858. Contrast that with 1,774 in February 2019, 1,893 in January 2018 (“It must have been a rough winter,” said Drew) and 1,790 in September 2017.

“It’s pretty consistent,” said Drew of the numbers for the last few years. “October is usually when we expect to see an influx, so the numbers might go up.”

In Franklin County, the numbers are holding steady as well, according to Michele Mulverhill, Franklin County’s commissioner of social services.

In August, Mulverhill said they got 199 applications for assistance, in contrast with 170 last August. In February, the number was 152, whereas in February 2019 it was 111.

“They’re pretty much remaining the same,” said Mulverhill. There was a dip in May, June and July, which corresponded to the additional CARES money. “If the benefit hadn’t come in, it would have looked different,” she said.

Both Drew and Mulverhill worry there may be a rise in applications in the coming months unless another economic stimulus plan comes through.