Dear Friends,

There are only 2 weeks until the Race Against Hunger! For the past 26 years, the Race has brought the Philadelphia community together in the fight against hunger. This year, as food insecurity is on the rise, we need your support more than ever. Register to walk, run or bike, and in doing so, help us raise awareness and funds to end hunger. If you are unable to participate, please consider donating to further our programs and help build a community where all people have the food they need to lead healthy lives.

Thank you to the hundreds of participants who have already registered and joined us in this fight. We look forward to kicking off the Race in two weeks and seeing all of your great Race Day photos!

Asistencia de Aplicación SNAP

En Español: Para cualquier persona cuyo idioma principal sea el Español y desee ayuda para solicitar los beneficios de SNAP o ayuda para determinar si es elegible, ahora tenemos un Formulario de Solicitud de Asistencia de SNAP en Español. Complete el formulario y uno de nuestros asesores de SNAP trabajará con usted para enviar una solicitud por teléfono, informarle si califica o responder cualquier otra pregunta que pueda tener en Español. Podemos ayudar a cualquier persona que viva en Filadelfia, Bucks o el condado de Chester. Comparta este formulario con cualquier persona que usted conozca a quien pueda ayudar.

In English: For anyone whose primary language is Spanish and would like assistance applying for SNAP benefits or help determining if you are eligible, we now have a SNAP Assistance Request Form in Spanish. Fill out the form, and one of our SNAP counselors will work with you to submit an application over the phone, let you know if you qualify, or answer any other question you may have, in Spanish. We are able to assist anyone living in Philadelphia, Bucks or Chester County. Please share this form with anyone you know who it may help. 

Policy and Advocacy

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved Pennsylvania’s request to issue SNAP Emergency Allotments (EAs) in April. EAs are the extra SNAP payments issued in the second half of the month. For more information, including payment dates, see our EA Flyer for April.

Tax Filing - Tax Day, April 18, is less than 2 weeks away! This year, more families will qualify for the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). To help you better understand the CTC and who might qualify, we created a narrated video. And remember, if you are still confused about the EITC, we also have a video on that!

If you haven’t filed your taxes yet and aren’t sure where to start, there are resources that can help you! Visit www.claimyourmoneyphl.com (Philadelphia) or www.getyourrefund.org. If you prefer in person help, the Philadelphia Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC), located at 600 Arch Street, will once again be open this Saturday, April 9th from 9am-4pm. No appointment is required, and interpreters will be available. Please note that TACs will not accept cash payments this coming Saturday. If you don’t live in Philadelphia, visit this website to find a TAC near you.  

Public Charge Rule - In February 2020, the Trump Administration put into effect an expanded Public Charge that restricted access to federal benefits for immigrants seeking permanent residency in the U.S. The public charge rule is a longstanding rule in the federal register, through which a person can be denied a visa if they are likely to be a “public charge”, or a person who primarily depends on government assistance. The Trump Administration expanded this longstanding rule to include receipt of many federal benefits as grounds for determining an immigrant to be a “public charge”. This rule limited access for immigrants to public benefits, and it also created a “chilling effect”, where many immigrant families who were not affected by the expanded public charge rule refrained from receiving federal benefits due to the fear and confusion created by it. The Biden Administration stopped applying the Trump Administration rule in March of 2021, but the chilling effect cast by it has remained.

The Biden Administration recently proposed an updated public charge rule that will provide further confirmation to immigrant families that all who are eligible can safely access and benefit from federal nutrition programs without negative repercussions to their immigration status. Most importantly for those we serve, this new rule makes it clear that receipt of SNAP and WIC is not grounds for being considered a public charge. The rule is now in a public comment period. We need you to demonstrate support for the new rule by signing this petition, put together by our partner, Protecting Immigrant Families. This petition demonstrates support for the newly proposed Public Charge rule and urges the administration to publish a final rule as soon as possible. The deadline to sign onto the petition is Thursday, April 21, 2022.

Spring Break Meals

Next week, the School District of Philadelphia is closed for Spring Break. While kids are out of school, many Philadelphia Parks & Recreation sites will be open and providing free meals to children and teens up to age 18. No ID is required and meals, which must be eaten on site, are available on a first come first served basis. Meals will be served Monday, April 11 - Thursday, April 14. To locate a meal site near you, visit www.phila.gov/food.

SNAP Hotline

Our Coalition Against Hunger SNAP Hotline team is here to help! Whether it’s navigating the SNAP application process or providing case management, our SNAP Hotline team is available to help Monday – Thursday from 9:00am to 5:00 pm and on Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Give our SNAP Hotline team a call at 215-430-0556.

And if you are looking to visit the County Assistance Offices (CAO), they are open for in-person assistance. You can visit their offices or contact their Customer Service Center at 215-560-7226 (Philadelphia) or 877-395-8930 (statewide). For phone numbers and addresses of all Philadelphia County Assistance offices, please use this link.