On Monday, New Jersey lifted its State of Emergency declaration resulting from the suspension of food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, due to the historic 44-day federal government shutdown. 

The state of emergency that had been in effect since Oct. 31 ended at 3 p.m. yesterday, through an executive order by New Jersey Acting Gov. Lahesha Way. Way was filling in for Gov. Phil Murphy, who was in California for a Choose New Jersey trip.

“New Jersey issued full November 2025 SNAP benefits to eligible households on the morning of Friday, Nov. 7, 2025,” said Monday’s press release. “With the end of the federal shutdown, the Murphy Administration does not expect any upcoming disruptions in the availability of SNAP benefits.”

Camden County has about 77,000 families who rely on SNAP, and Monday’s news couldn’t come soon enough for them.

Washington Reopens

The government shutdown ended late last Wednesday, Nov. 12, after the U.S. House of Representatives voted 222-209 in favor of legislation to end it, with President Trump signing the bill package that same night. The U.S. Senate had passed the same shutdown-ending bill two days earlier.

In addition to reopening Washington, the legislation also provides limited protections for federal workers by reinstating thousands who were laid off during the six-week shutdown and guarantees no more reductions in force (TIFs) at least up through the end of January 2026.

And of course, funding for SNAP would go uninterrupted through September 2026.

But just hours before legislation reached the U.S. House to end the shutdown, Camden County hosted multiple food drives to help local families fight hunger.

The events had political overtones. Camden County officials, all Democrats who organized them, took the opportunity to condemn Republican President Trump over the shutdown and its victims.

SNAP benefits help more than 800,000 New Jerseyans across 400,000 households afford nutritious food, according to state data. Almost half are children, nearly 1 in 3 are individuals with a disability, and 1 in 5 are senior citizens.

When the federal government went into shutdown mode on Oct. 1, SNAP benefits to states were frozen as funding for it was choked.

“These resources are critical to the health and welfare of more than 14 percent of our population here in Camden County and necessary for survival for thousands of residents,” Camden County Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, who serves as liaison to the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services, said.

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross said 97,000 people in his First Congressional District, which includes all of Camden County and parts of Burlington and Gloucester Counties, rely on SNAP and were severely impacted by the government shutdown.

“Sadly, these individuals have been under attack by the Trump Administration all year,” said Norcross. “First, Donald Trump signed the Big Ugly Bill into law, cutting $186 billion in food assistance. Then, his administration fought relentlessly to avoid using SNAP emergency funds during the shutdown.”

Camden County Hit Hard

On Nov. 12, the Camden County Board of Commissioners partnered with the Food Bank of South Jersey and Farmers Against Hunger to distribute food packages to over 800 local families who swarmed Camden County College — Blackwood Campus Lot 6 — in Gloucester Township.

“The Board of Commissioners is dedicated to making sure no family in Camden County goes without food or basic necessities during this unprecedented time,” Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said at last Wednesday’s event.

Cappelli made another appearance the next day, Nov. 13, this time for the Camden County Police Department’s own food drive. The event drew over 1,000 families to the police building at the corner of Haddon Avenue and Federal Street in downtown Camden, where officers handed out food.

Fred Wasiak, President & CEO of the Food Bank of South Jersey, said the longest government shutdown in U.S. history exacerbated the hunger problem throughout New Jersey, particularly in the southern region.

“As we near the end of the government shutdown, we know that it doesn’t mean the end of food security for our community,” Wasiak said last Wednesday. “Together, we can ensure no one in South Jersey goes without food — now and as we move into the holiday season.”

Christina Renna, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey, announced during the food drive at Camden County College that her organization was working alongside the Camden County Board of Commissioners to raise funds and food for the Food Bank of South Jersey, which last year distributed over 23.4 million pounds of food.

“As an organization, we wanted to assist Camden County with this initiative to bridge the SNAP gap by imploring local businesses to help,” Renna said. “We believe that there is no higher calling than attacking hunger in the region we serve.”

The Nov. 12 food drive at Camden County College was supplemented by fresh produce provided by Farmers Against Hunger. The contribution drew praise from New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn.

Just days earlier, Wengryn awarded $4 million to six regional food banks to buy locally grown products to boost New Jersey’s economy and help mitigate food insecurity. The grants were announced on Nov. 6, six days before Washington reopened.