February 23rd, 2026
Spanish Language Version (PDF)
Monroe County Executive Adam J. Bello and local leaders gathered today to remind the Rochester community of significant changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that will affect thousands of residents across Monroe County. The County’s Department of Human Services (DHS) administers the SNAP program on behalf of the state and federal governments.
Beginning March 1, new work and reporting requirements for certain SNAP recipients will take effect as a result of H.R. 1 (the “One Big Beautiful Bill”) proposed by the federal administration and passed by Congress in July 2025. These changes represent a major shift in eligibility rules and will require prompt action from impacted individuals to avoid disruption of benefits.
Under the updated federal guidelines, in order to maintain SNAP benefits, individuals who meet the definition of Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) — adults ages 18–64 who do not have children under 14 in their household and are physically and mentally able to work — will be required to:
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Work at least 20 hours per week, or
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Participate in qualifying work-related activities such as job training or volunteer service.
Those who do not meet the new requirements and fail to report qualifying activity risk losing assistance.
This week, Monroe County DHS will mail detailed information to SNAP recipients who currently meet the ABAWD definition. The mailing outlines work requirements, reporting procedures, available exemptions, and steps individuals must take to remain eligible.
In addition to the mailing, DHS will host multiple in-person town halls to help residents navigate the eligibility changes and answer questions.
The town halls are open to the public and will be held on the following dates, times and locations:
Wednesday, February 25 (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
Connected Communities Neighborhood Hub
616 N. Goodman Street, Rochester, NY 14609
Partners: Connected Communities and County Legislator Santos Cruz
Wednesday, March 4 (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
Adams Street R-Center
80 Adams Street, Rochester, NY 14608
Partners: City of Rochester and County Legislator Carolyn Delvecchio Hoffman
Wednesday, March 11 (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
Greece Town Hall – Community Rooms A&B
1 Vince Tofany Blvd, Greece, NY 14612
Partners: Greece Supervisor Jeff McCann and County Legislature President Yversha Roman
Wednesday, March 18 (6 p.m.- 8 p.m.)
Foodlink Farm
585 Lexington Avenue, Rochester NY 14613
Partners: County Legislator Ricky Frazier
Saturday, March 28 (2 p.m.- 4 p.m.)
Webster Recreation Center – Multipurpose Room 1350
Chiyoda Drive, Webster, NY 14612
Partners: Webster Supervisor Alex Scialdone
ASL Interpreting will be available at each of these events.
“Thousands of Monroe County residents—working families, seniors and young adults— will feel the impact of these federal changes to SNAP. Our responsibility is to make sure no one is caught off guard,” said County Executive Bello. “I urge anyone who receives SNAP to watch for a letter in the mail, attend one of our town halls, or contact our Department of Human Services (DHS) with questions. We are grateful to our DHS team, Mayor Evans, Congressman Morelle, and our community partners at Foodlink and TogetherNow for stepping up to ensure our neighbors have the information, support and resources they need to stay nourished and healthy during this transition.”
“We won’t stand by as Republicans give tax breaks to their billionaire friends at the expense of our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “Our community will never stop fighting for policies that ensure every family has access to healthy and affordable food.”
"I urge those who rely on SNAP to find out what they need to do to preserve their benefits and to get help doing so as soon as possible,” said Mayor Malik D. Evans. "We don’t want anyone going hungry. And we don’t want this attack on SNAP, a longtime successful anti- hunger program, to succeed because beneficiaries were confused or intimidated by the new rules. I appreciate everything the County and our nonprofit partners are doing to assist in this transition and to prevent families from going hungry."
“We cannot overstate the importance of SNAP as the nation’s most effective anti-poverty program,” said Julia Tedesco, President & CEO of Foodlink. “As the food bank serving the Rochester and Finger Lakes region, Foodlink has seen firsthand how disruptions to SNAP place an overwhelming burden on the emergency food system and the broader social service sector. During the SNAP crisis this past fall, searches for food assistance surged, underscoring the critical role the program plays in stabilizing families and communities. Foodlink has done—and will continue to do—everything possible to ensure our emergency food network is informed about these changes and prepared to respond to the increased demand resulting from federal cuts to SNAP. Anyone in need of food assistance is encouraged to visit Foodlink’s website and use our ‘Find Food’ map to locate support.”
SNAP remains one of the most critical anti-hunger programs in Monroe County. More than 104,000 county residents rely on SNAP benefits to help feed their families each month; of those, more than 37,000 are under the age of 18 and 22,000 are over the age of 60.
Individuals and organizations seeking additional information about the SNAP changes can visit www.monroecounty.gov/snap-abawd-changes or call (585) 753-5386.
Residents in need of immediate food assistance can contact 211, visit www.MyWayfinder.org, or go to www.foodlinkny.org/find-food to locate nearby food resources.
ABAWD volunteer opportunities can also be found through the MyWayfinder portal.
Community-based organizations that offer volunteer opportunities are encouraged to reach out to TogetherNow to add their opportunities to the MyWayfinder volunteer portal.
“At a time when many SNAP recipients are facing uncertainty, the most important first step is understanding whether ABAWD work requirements apply to you, and if they do, having a plan,” said Laura Gustin, President & CEO of TogetherNow. “The SNAP Work Rules Screener available through MyWayfinder helps residents quickly determine their status and connect to next steps, including employment services, job training, and our newly launched volunteer work experience portal. Our goal is simple: make it easier for people to protect their benefits while staying connected to the resources that support long-term stability.”
A livestream of the press conference is available on County Executive Bello’s Facebook page at facebook.com/CountyExecBello and the Monroe County Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@MonroeCounty_NY.
