Like many immigrant families, Jimmy Chen’s parents worked hard to build a new life in the U.S. But growing up in Kansas City, there were times when putting food on the table was a struggle, and Chen remembers the anxiety of watching groceries stretch thin near the end of the month. Today, he’s doing his part to help others as the CEO of Propel, a Brooklyn-based tech startup that aims to help Americans on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) check their balances, find coupons, and maximize their grocery budgets.
Now, as the federal government faces unprecedented delays in SNAP payments, Chen’s company is stepping in to help users affected by the disruption.
“Their budgets are already extremely tight,” Chen told NPR. “There’s usually not a lot of wiggle room. So a delay of even a few days on an expected deposit ends up being a really, really huge deal.”
Bridging the Gap
On Nov. 1, the Propel app began issuing $50 payments to high-need users through its app by prioritizing families with children and little to no income. The company hopes these small stipends can help bridge the gap until federal benefits resume.
“We understand that $50 is not enough,” Chen said, adding, “But we’re trying to reach as many families as possible and provide an amount that gives them a little bit of breathing room.”
Propel has since identified about 230,000 users who fit this high-need profile. So far, the company has donated $1 million of the $10 million needed to fund payments for most of them. To meet the goal, Propel has turned to both corporate partners and the public for help.
How the App Works
Propel’s initiative has drawn support from several partners, including Robin Hood, a New York-based non-profit that aims to tackle poverty, and Babylist, an e-commerce platform geared towards new parents. The company also teamed up with GiveDirectly, a non-profit that specializes in direct cash aid programs around the world.
Through this partnership, GiveDirectly has raised about $6 million so far, including Propel’s contribution. “The sheer scale and volume of this need is so immense,” said Sarina Jain, GiveDirectly’s senior program manager for U.S. disaster responses. “We’re talking about millions of low income Americans who are at risk of not getting this assistance.”
Still, both Chen and Jain acknowledge that private and nonprofit efforts can only go so far. “At the end of the day, the single biggest thing we can do in this country is to get SNAP back online, depositing on a predictable schedule to the people who receive it,” Chen said.
42 Million SNAP Recipients Facing Delays
Nearly 42 million Americans rely on SNAP to afford groceries. Now, they’re facing delays that could stretch into months as the government shutdown lingers. After two federal judges ruled that freezing payments was unlawful, the Trump administration said on Nov. 3 that it would restart partial SNAP payments by tapping into a $5 billion contingency fund from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
But that amount covers only a fraction of the $8 billion it takes to provide full benefits for all SNAP recipients each month.
For recipients like Shenita Melton, a 37-year-old mother of four in rural Anson County, North Carolina, those delays could be devastating. There aren’t many food banks where she lives and the few that exist only let customers pick up groceries once or twice a month, she told NPR. She added that much of the food available locally is subpar or past its expiration date.
“I’m kind of scared to give my kids expired food,” she said. “But sometimes you have to do what you have to do.”
Who Qualifies and How to Get Help
Propel’s $50 relief payments are available to current users of the app who qualify as high-need based on income, family size, and SNAP usage. The company is prioritizing households with children and little or no earnings.
If you already use the app, there’s nothing more you need to do — Propel will notify eligible users directly through in-app messages and deposits. For those who aren’t yet using it, the app can be downloaded for free on the App Store or through Google Play. The app also offers:
- Real-time balance tracking for SNAP and EBT accounts
- Access to coupons, grocery discounts, and budgeting tools
- Updates on relief programs and local food assistance
Propel and GiveDirectly say they’re continuing to raise funds and seek new corporate partners to expand payments if the federal delay continues. “We’re proud to help where we can,” Chen said. “But families shouldn’t have to depend on a tech startup to feed their kids.”
More SNAP stories:
- Plan Ahead: These Pantry Essentials Can Help You Weather SNAP Program Delays — Now more than ever, it’s vital for SNAP users to stock up on pantry essentials.
- Grocery Stores Warned Against Offering Discounts to SNAP Users — As millions of Americans wait for their food benefits to restart, the USDA just told grocery stores to stop offering discounts to shoppers who use SNAP.
- What You Can and Can’t Buy With SNAP Benefits — Here are some surprising things you can buy with EBT in 2025 — as well as some things that SNAP benefits don’t cover.
