US Nutrition Programs Cut as SNAP-Ed Funding Ends

On a sunny September afternoon in San Francisco, residents of a senior living community swayed to the rhythm of Earth, Wind & Fire’s classic “September.” The dance session, part of a weekly class hosted by Leah’s Pantry, a local nonprofit, is more than just entertainment—it is a vital health and wellness activity for older adults.

For 72-year-old retiree Kengsoi Chou Lei, who moved from Macau to the United States in 1995, the classes are a lifeline. Speaking through an interpreter, she said the program has shown her that “exercise makes you healthier, more relaxed, and happier overall.”

But these sessions may soon come to an end. Leah’s Pantry is preparing to cut back its schedule after losing 90 percent of its funding due to sweeping federal budget reductions. The cuts stem from a tax-cut and spending bill passed in July under President Donald Trump, which eliminated the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education, or SNAP-Ed, effective September 30.

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SNAP-Ed’s Wide Reach

Since 1992, SNAP-Ed has been one of the nation’s largest federal nutrition education initiatives. Funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program has invested more than $9 billion in public health efforts, ranging from cooking lessons to school gardening projects. In 2022 alone, SNAP-Ed reached more than 1.8 million participants, many of them children and low-income families.

Through partnerships with land-grant universities, health departments, and nonprofits, SNAP-Ed delivered evidence-based education aimed at reducing chronic diseases and improving diet quality. Advocates say it also aligned with the administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, established to tackle childhood health challenges.

Impact on Communities

The loss of funding is being described as devastating by organizations nationwide. Adrienne Markworth, founder and executive director of Leah’s Pantry, called the move “a catastrophic situation for public health nutrition.”

In Milwaukee, nonprofit FoodRight expects to halt classes that have taught more than 1,200 public school students each year to cook with fresh ingredients. CEO Lisa Kingery warned that “cutting SNAP-Ed cuts kids off from the skills they need to be healthy.”

Some states will stop all SNAP-Ed activities immediately after September 30, while others will attempt to stretch leftover funds into early 2026 before winding down operations.

Debate Over Effectiveness

Republican lawmakers defended the decision, arguing that SNAP-Ed was duplicative and ineffective. They cited a 2019 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that flagged gaps in program management.

However, USDA officials had since addressed many of those issues, according to Chris Mornick, SNAP-Ed Program Manager for Washington State and a leader in the Association of SNAP Nutrition Education Administrators.

Cindy Long, former USDA deputy undersecretary for nutrition programs, added that the claims of duplication are misleading. “SNAP-Ed efforts were evidence-based,” she said. “It was by far the largest and most impactful federal nutrition education program.”

A Turning Point for Nutrition Policy

The elimination of SNAP-Ed marks the first in a series of planned reductions to federal nutrition programs. The bill also raises work requirements for food aid recipients and shifts a significant portion of nutrition-related spending to states in the coming years.

For now, the immediate impact is being felt in schools, community centers, and senior homes—places where nutrition education once made healthy living more accessible to millions of Americans.