News10 in Albany reports that on March 1 the federal government ended pandemic-era payments for low-income families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The program averaged around an extra $90 per person each month for three years. The program's demise may lead families to some of the Free Food Fridge programs or food pantries locally. There Free Food Fridges in Albany, Catskill, and Hudson, among other locations. It is a confidential, barrier-free way to access food items. Jammella Anderson, who started the Albany free fridge, said, “We knew the pandemic did so much damage, and now we’re feeling the aftereffects, so food costs are so high.... So even if you have 95 extra dollars in your SNAP benefits, that’s still not going to get you what it did maybe two or three years ago.” The Food Pantries for the Capital District Executive Director Natasha Pernicka said, “Food pantries are here to help. There are food pantries throughout the Capital Region and New York State, and if people don’t know where to turn, it’s easy to use our map at thefoodpantries.org to search for food pantries across New York State.” Both the local free fridge programs, and food pantries always need donations too, for anyone who wants to help with Hudson Valley hunger. Read more about this story at the News10 website.