How to meet SNAP work requirement in Pennsylvania by volunteering

Pennsylvania officials have rolled out a new online tool they hope will help food stamp recipients follow federal work requirements and hold on to their benefits.

According to state estimates, more than 144,000 Pennsylvanians are at risk of losing their grocery assistance because of the tightened rules instituted in phases in September and November. To prevent some of these losses, the state is promoting a website that will help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients find volunteer opportunities that will help them meet the added requirements.

Commonwealth officials are “committed to doing everything we can to connect Pennsylvanians who receive SNAP with tools and information to help them keep their benefits and feed themselves and their families,” Dr. Val Arkoosh, the state’s human services secretary, said in a statement.

Arkoosh’s department on Jan. 13 announced that SNAP beneficiaries can search for volunteer opportunities on PA Navigate, a state website that connects Pennsylvanians with social and health care services in their area. To use the site, people can visit pa-navigate.org, enter their ZIP code and search for “volunteer opportunities.”

SNAP recipients who volunteer must ask the organization to track their hours on a special reporting form that gets submitted to county assistance offices.

Arkoosh’s agency also invites community groups to post volunteer openings on the website.

What changed in Pa. SNAP requirements?

Until recently, the bulk of the commonwealth had been exempt from work requirements for the food assistance program. The federal reconciliation bill passed by congressional Republicans in 2025 excluded Pennsylvania from those carveouts.

Now, many able-bodied Pennsylvanians from ages of 18 and 64 must work, volunteer or attend job training programs for at least 20 hours per week if they want to stay on the program. If they don’t comply, they’re only eligible for three months of benefits within a three-year period.

The mandate does come with a list of exceptions, for instance for people who are living with a child younger than 14, are pregnant or have a physical or mental health condition that interferes with their ability to work. The state has posted a comprehensive list of the exceptions online, but SNAP recipients must alert officials that they fall into one of these categories if they want to qualify.