Coral Springs food pantry braces for increased need during SNAP freeze
When she started volunteering at the Royal Palm Christian Church’s food pantry in 2004, June Bookal said having 35 people at the weekly distribution was a lot.
These days, the Coral Springs church serves about 85 people each week. On Thursday, Oct. 30, they fed 106 individuals and families, running 30 minutes over the scheduled time to make sure everyone who was in line went home with something to eat.
Staff and volunteers attributed the spike to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding freeze that went into effect on Nov. 1.
“We never turn anyone away, as long as they show up,” Bookal said. “We give them food, because that’s what we do.”
Local food pantries like the one at Royal Palm Christian Church are bracing for increased need under the federal government’s SNAP freeze, which will leave an estimated 104,835 Broward County residents hungry. They don’t know how long they’ll be able to handle it.
Fully stocking the pantry is a weeklong effort for the church’s service director, Moya McFarlane. Most days, she has a donation to pick up from a local business — various items from Trader Joe’s and Publix, bread from Panera, sweets from Flora and bagels from Bagels and a Whole Lot More.
The space is shared with Royal Palm’s preschool and serves as a meeting room for parishoners and community members, so everything must be packed away in closets or cabinets.
Bookal started her shift on Oct. 30 at 9:30 a.m. with another volunteer. They assembled bags with staples such as eggs, pasta, canned goods and vegetables.
Service began at 5:45 p.m. as it does every week. Staff and volunteers gathered to pray before opening the hall’s doors — checking clients in and guiding them through the rows of food.
The flow didn’t slow or stop during the two and a half hours of operation. Many of those coming through were returning customers who greeted volunteers by name, but newcomers stuck out. Many carried cardboard boxes that used to contain recently expired baked goods or rejected fruit, separating them from the regulars, who knew to bring their own bags.
Fresh produce — an asset in short supply at pantries across the United States — and other healthy goods were the first to run out. Canned goods were next.
Royal Palm has worked with Gateway Community Outreach since 2001, when the pantry first opened. The organization was able to meet the needs of the church’s regular customers for some time.
But, office administrator Alice Price said that FEMA and other government cutbacks forced Gateway to downsize.
While they still supply canned goods to the pantry, Gateway isn’t able to supply as many. Both parties have had to do more purchasing out of their own pockets as a result.
Church leaders ask that donations come on weekdays between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Residents can also set up specific hours (particularly later in the evening) if a different time is needed.
Anyone seeking food assistance is encouraged to visit the food bank. One person per household must bring a photo ID. Bringing reusable shopping bags is also encouraged.
More information is available on the church’s website.
This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 3:29 PM.
