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Gwinnett County expands food aid as SNAP pause looms

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  October 31, 2025 9:12pm EDT
Gwinnett County
FOX 5 Atlanta

The Brief

    • Gwinnett County is allocating $250,000 to expand food and hygiene distribution amid SNAP benefit disruptions.
    • Six local co-ops will distribute county-purchased food and household items directly to residents in need.
    • Officials plan additional funding as partnerships have already delivered 2.8 million pounds of food since 2020.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A lot of uncertainty surrounds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, amid court battles to halt the planned pause for the federal funding that would roughly 1.6 million Georgians without food assistance.

What we know:

 With thousands of residents facing potential interruptions in federal nutrition programs, Gwinnett County is committing $250,000 to keep food and hygiene supplies flowing to families in need.

The county will use existing contracts to purchase shelf-stable food, hygiene items, and household products most requested by local food cooperatives. Deliveries will be divided and distributed through six partner ministries in Buford, Duluth, Grayson, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, and Norcross under a zero-dollar distribution agreement.

The count says the program builds on five years of county partnerships targeting food insecurity, including a collaboration with the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Mobile Food Distribution Program. That initiative delivers groceries directly to residents where they live, work, and gather.

Get more details on the upcoming SNAP suspension:

What they're saying:

"When federal safety nets are disrupted, local governments and communities have to step in," said Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson. "More than 90,000 Gwinnett residents rely on SNAP, and as those benefits pause, we’re doing what we can to fill the gap. What started as food distribution has become a lifeline for thousands of families."

"These co-ops have been on the ground helping families for years," said Community Services Director Lindsey Jorstad. "Working through them allows us to reach residents across the entire county while making sure help gets where it’s needed most. Our goal is to meet people with dignity and make it a little easier for families to get by."

"Every number we share represents a life touched," Hendrickson said. "We’re asking the community to stay involved, donate, volunteer, or simply spread the word. Every act of kindness moves us forward."

Dig deeper:

The county’s purchase will include soups, cereals, peanut butter, pancake mix, fruit cups, granola bars, electrolyte drinks, paper towels, disinfecting wipes, laundry detergent, dish soap, and other essential household items.

So far this year, Gwinnett has hosted 42 mobile food distributions, serving more than 64,000 residents and providing 334,000 meals. Since 2020, the county and its partners have organized 323 distributions, serving more than 430,000 residents and delivering 2.8 million pounds of food.

What you can do:

Residents seeking food or other aid can call the One Stop for Help Community Navigators at 770-822-8850 or use the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Pantry Map to locate nearby pantries.

Beyond food aid, the county’s events also connect families to safety and support programs. Fire and Emergency Services offers home safety education and smoke detector installation. The Water Resources Assistance Program helps residents repair plumbing and install water-saving fixtures. Community Navigators assist with housing, health care, and employment resources.

County teams will also provide more than 450 meals to students in afterschool programs to ensure no child goes hungry during school breaks. Seniors 60 and older who are homebound, ill, or incapacitated can receive weekly frozen meal deliveries through the Health and Human Services Division’s Home Delivered Meals Program by calling 678-377-4150.

What's next:

Upcoming mobile food distribution events will begin at 3 p.m. and continue while supplies last:

  • Nov. 4 at Lenora Park in Snellville
  • Nov. 18 at Bryson Park in Lilburn
  • Dec. 9 at Rock Springs Park in Lawrenceville
  • Dec. 16 at Shorty Howell Park in Duluth
  • Dec. 23 at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville

Gwinnett County officials said they will continue identifying additional funding sources to sustain the expanded food distribution efforts.

The Source: Gwinnett County government provided the details for this article. The Georgia Department of Human Services provided details for this article. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used. 

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