New federal law expands work requirements, could push thousands toward food pantries
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Central Georgia food banks are preparing for a potential surge in demand as the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” introduces some of the strictest SNAP benefit cuts in the program’s history, with changes expected to affect hundreds of thousands of Georgians.
The sweeping legislation, signed into law in July 2025, cuts federal SNAP funding by $186 billion through 2034 and significantly expands work requirements. Most notably for Georgia, the law raises the work requirement age from 54 to 64 and requires parents of children aged 14 or older to meet work requirements for the first time.
“It’s really concerning that the changes that are being done for different reasons could really negatively affect the people here for very urgent daily needs,” said Kathy McCollum, who has been in charge of the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank for five years.
A Domino Effect on Local Food Networks
The Middle Georgia Community Food Bank serves 24 counties and works with over 200 partner agencies to distribute food to neighbors in need. McCollum expects the SNAP changes to create a domino effect that will strain the entire charitable food network.
“The SNAP benefits program has been the best way to take care of neighbors who need food assistance because people are able to go to the grocery store on their own time schedule, select the food that they need for their family,” McCollum explained. “With the reduction of SNAP benefits or the higher hurdles to qualify, we’re expecting a lot of people who have had SNAP benefits in the past to not qualify.”
Those who lose benefits will likely turn to food pantries and soup kitchens, putting additional pressure on volunteer-run operations that are already stretched thin. The food bank’s partner agencies operate mostly out of church basements and civic centers with limited volunteer help, storage space, and funding.
Local Food Pantries Ready but Cautious
At the Christian Social Ministry food bank in Warner Robins, Director Ed Gonzales has seen steady demand with about 100 clients per week. The facility, located across from City Hall, serves families on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“I’m looking for at least 20 to 30, maybe even 50 per week that come in for food” as a result of the SNAP changes, Gonzales said. Despite the expected increase, he remains cautiously optimistic about his facility’s ability to meet demand.
“We’ve never turned anybody away and we never will,” Gonzales said. “In the last 28 years that this has been open, I’ve never seen this place not have enough food for the number of people that come in.”
Who Really Needs Help?
Both food bank leaders push back against narratives that suggest widespread abuse of assistance programs. McCollum says the families they serve are predominantly working families, often holding multiple jobs but still unable to make ends meet.
“We hear a lot about grandparents raising grandchildren,” McCollum said. “Something has happened with that parent generation where they’re not able to be the caregivers for their children, so grandma has taken them in and Grandma’s on a fixed income and she is not prepared to raise another generation of children.”
Gonzales, whose organization also provides utility bill assistance, estimates that about 90% of his clients have genuine need. “There’s always going to be that 10% that doesn’t need, but we do our job. We give the food away and we help those that are really in need.”
The Numbers Behind Food Insecurity
The latest figures from the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank paint a stark picture of regional need. More than 117,000 neighbors across 24 counties in Middle Georgia are considered food insecure – that’s 1 in 7 residents. For children, the numbers are even more alarming: 1 in 4 children in the region lack consistent access to adequate food.
“You think about the food that a child needs to be able to go to school to learn to play, to grow, to develop, to be healthy, and if we’ve got 1 in 4 of our children that are starting out that far behind, that is really scary,” McCollum said.
The food bank has seen food insecurity increase by 10% in the past year, following a 25% increase the year before.
Double Impact from Federal Changes
Food banks are already feeling the effects of federal policy changes. Since early 2025, both organizations have seen reductions in food supplies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which purchases food from farmers and distributes it through the charitable food network.
“We’ve seen quite a reduction in the amount of food that we’re getting from USDA,” McCollum said. “We see this anytime a presidential administration changes.”
This reduction in federal food supplies, combined with the expected increase in demand from SNAP cuts, creates a challenging environment for food assistance organizations according to McCollum.
Looking Ahead
As the SNAP changes phase in over the coming years, Central Georgia food banks are working to expand their capacity and strengthen their networks. Both organizations stress they’re committed to serving anyone who needs help, regardless of the challenges ahead.
For families currently receiving SNAP benefits in Georgia, the changes will mean stricter work requirements, possible benefit reductions, and fewer exemptions. The full impact will unfold as state systems are updated and the federal requirements take effect.
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