MONADNOCK REGION, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) With the federal government shutdown halting new SNAP payments, mobile food pantries are being deployed statewide to help New Hampshire residents access meals and groceries beginning this Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Governor Kelly Ayotte announced Monday that the state is partnering with the New Hampshire Food Bank and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to operate a network of mobile food pantries and pick-up sites for SNAP recipients. The move aims to prevent food insecurity for the estimated 75,000 Granite Staters who rely on the federal nutrition program.

Under the plan, DHHS and the Food Bank will post an updated list of mobile pantry locations every Monday for the next five weeks. Food distribution sites will shift as demand changes, targeting areas with the highest need.

SNAP recipients must show their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card or DHHS documentation confirming enrollment to receive assistance. Elderly residents and people with disabilities who need transportation help can contact DHHS for support through partner organizations.

In the Monadnock Region, The Community Kitchen in Keene is coordinating with the state’s effort to distribute emergency food boxes on Saturdays throughout November. Mobile pantries will operate from 9 a.m. to noon at the Keene Department of Public Works, 350 Marlboro St., on Nov. 8, 15, 22, and 29.

St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church will distribute food Tuesday, Nov. 18  at 33 Arch St., in Keene from noon to 2 p.m. 0r while supplies last.

Other regional locations include Runnings at 403 Washington St. in Claremont on Wednesday, Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Claremont Food Pantry at 51 Central St., open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Several local businesses and nonprofits are also joining in. The Monadnock Food Co-op is doubling its Healthy Food For All discount for SNAP users to 20 percent, while Birdies and 21 Bar and Grill in Keene are offering free or reduced meals and to-go food bags. Buba Street Noodle & Bar is providing one free meal daily to SNAP recipients who show ID, and MoCo Arts is offering snack bags in its Roxbury Street green room.

In Winchester, ACCESS has expanded its outreach beyond after-school meals to include free, to-go dinners for the general public from 6 to 6:30 p.m. each weekday. Meals can be picked up at the ELMM Community Center, 21 Durkee St. The group also runs a Sunday pop-up pantry from 11 a.m. to noon at the same location.

To help organizers prepare enough food, residents are encouraged to register for meal pickup or pantry visits at bit.ly/ACCESS-to-go-meal-signup.

In Sullivan, the Sullivan Country Store, 140 Route 9, has launched a pay-it-forward meal program. Customers can purchase an extra meal or sandwich for someone in need; recipients simply take a card from a corkboard at the back of the store to redeem it.

Meanwhile, food pantries throughout the region continue to provide groceries and prepared meals for anyone facing food insecurity:

  • The Community Kitchen, 37 Mechanic St., Keene – Pantry hours: Wednesdays 12:30–5:30 p.m., Thursdays 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m. (thecommunitykitchen.org)

  • St. Vincent De Paul Pantry, 173 Main St., Keene – Tuesdays 1–2 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays 6:30–7:30 p.m. (svdpkeene.org)

  • Feeding Tiny Tummies, 305 Park Ave., Keene – Tuesdays (seniors 9:30–10 a.m., open 10 a.m.–noon) and Thursdays (seniors 4:30–5 p.m., open 5–6:30 p.m.) (Facebook page)

  • Keene Mutual Aid, Railroad Square, Keene – Saturdays 2–3:30 p.m., rain or shine (keenemutualaid.org)

  • Hinsdale Food Shelf, 19 Main St., Hinsdale – Mondays 11 a.m.–4 p.m. or by appointment (town.hinsdale.nh.us/welfare)

  • Fall Mountain Food Shelf, 122 NH Route 12A, Langdon – Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (fallmountainfoodshelf.org)

  • Fall Mountain Food Shelf – Charlestown, 29 Summer St., Charlestown – Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays 9–11 a.m. (fallmountainfoodshelf.org)

  • Joan’s Food Pantry, 532 Route 63, Chesterfield – Saturdays 9 a.m.–noon (chesterfieldumc.org/our-food-pantry)

  • Rindge Food Pantry, 1102 Route 119, Rindge – Thursdays 3–5:30 p.m. (rindgefoodpantry.org)

  • Jaffrey Food Pantry, 54 Main St., Jaffrey – Wednesdays 3–5 p.m. (Facebook page)

  • Peterborough Food Pantry, 52 Concord St., Peterborough – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 9 a.m.–noon, Saturdays 9–11 a.m. (follows ConVal school calendar) (pfoodpantry.org)

  • Marlow Food Pantry, 11 Church St., Marlow – Third Sunday of each month, box pickup begins at 10 a.m. (facebook.com/marlownh)

Barb Weisman, executive director of The Community Kitchen, said the effort is critical as federal support stalls. “These food boxes are a short-term bridge,” she said. “We’re asking the community to help however they can — donations, volunteering, or just spreading the word.”

SNAP participants can still use existing balances on their EBT cards and check remaining funds at www.ebtedge.com or by calling 888-997-9777. The state’s WIC program remains funded and continues to provide formula and nutritional support to eligible mothers and children.

Up-to-date information about the state’s contingency plans and the latest mobile pantry locations is available at www.dhhs.nh.gov/federalshutdown.

To donate to the New Hampshire Food Bank, visit nhfoodbank.org/get-involved/donate.