PITTSFIELD — Over just four days last week, 132 new people visited the Christian Center food pantry — a sharp jump from the 85 new visitors it saw during all of September.

The major spike in visitors is a pattern in pantries across the county, stemming from confusion and uncertainty around the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

“They were coming in and saying that they were struggling and that they've never had to do this before and they didn't know what to do,” said Karen Ryan, food director and services coordinator of the center. “A lot of them were very humble to have to be able to walk in the building and just ask for help. They weren't getting their food stamps, so they really had no choice.”

SNAP benefits lapsed earlier this month after the Trump administration said it could not disperse the funding to states as a result of the federal government shutdown. After a federal judge on Friday ordered full funding of SNAP for November, Massachusetts began loading benefits onto EBT cards.

Later on Friday, the Supreme Court paused that ruling and the Trump administration told states that they must "immediately undo" any steps taken to fund SNAP, according to The New York Times. But on Monday, Gov. Maura Healey announced that benefits have been distributed and the state will continue to do so as scheduled.

“Forget the noise that you're hearing from Donald Trump,” Healey said during a news conference on Monday. “I want you to know, because of the actions that we took, your SNAP benefits have been restored to your cards. Go out and buy the food that you need to feed your family.”

Still, the brief pause — and ensuing confusion — has elicited a lack of trust in the reliability of the program.

That trend extended beyond the Christian Center. At Community Health Programs’ Family Service Building in Great Barrington, all three of its food distribution services saw an uptick in visitors last week, including new clients and families returning after time away.

“We have received so much support from the community and from our food partners that we have been able to keep up with the demand,” said Mary Feuer, the director of WIC and Family Services for CHP.

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts saw a 51 percent increase in visitors to its Mobile Food Bank program serving four counties. The number of seniors who applied for a monthly bag of groceries from the food bank increased by 69 percent last week.

“We’re trying to meet the demand the best we can,” said Deb Ondo, the communications and engagement manager for the food bank.

The pressure on food banks was significant last week as SNAP provides the equivalent of nine meals for every one meal the food bank does, she said.

“It's a deeply disturbing and confusing time, and people who receive SNAP benefits rely on them," Ondo said. "People do put food on their table with SNAP benefits."

During the final week of October, when residents were in limbo waiting to see what was going to happen, the People’s Pantry in Great Barrington saw a 49.3 percent increase compared to that week in 2024, according to Silke Aisenbrey, the pantry's vice president.

“It's just so complex to understand and it changes every day,” Aisenbrey said. “It's especially hard for our shoppers who are already in an economically vulnerable situation. It creates anxiety, which is really hard to see.”

While data from the first week of November isn’t available yet, the pantry saw a lot more new families and families who haven't been to the pantry in years, many of whom are anxious about the future of SNAP.

“People are really worried,” Aisenbrey said. “Even if they haven't felt the effect of SNAP yet, they're just worried about what's going to happen in the next weeks, and that they won't have food on the table, so they want to secure their spot in the pantry, even though we would never close.”

This week, the Christian Center has increased the amount of food coming in from Berkshire Bounty, which supplies items like dairy, eggs and meats. After quickly running out of milk and eggs last week, they’ve ordered more dairy and 1,000 pounds of meat.

Jessica Jones, executive director of the center, wants the community to remember that many of those who rely on SNAP are everyday working people who are just trying to survive and feed their families.

“​​Being able to understand that and treat people with empathy and as human beings, because they're going through a rough time, is so important,” Jones said. “And most of the time they're fairly embarrassed about having to come to a food pantry.”

Healey called what is happening in Washington “dysfunctional” and assured SNAP users in Massachusetts that “we have your back.”

“As governor, I am heartbroken to know that there are people in Massachusetts who were dealing with tremendous fear and anxiety, not knowing how they were going to feed themselves or their families,” she said.

The pantries are continuing to see an outpouring of support from the community, like on Friday, when deliveries from local food drives came in, The People's Pantry had to call in an emergency volunteer squad because there was so much food donated.

“We are here for you,” Aisenbrey said. “Hopefully you don’t ever leave the pantry hungry.”