Jackie Ferry is one of nearly three dozen residents to receive assistance from the Meadville YMCA's monthly food drive at the Conneaut Valley Health Center.

"It helps me a lot because grocery prices are up and it's hard," said Ferry. "Everything is so expensive."

After emergency SNAP benefits ended on March 31, Ferry says the past month and a half has been tough.

"I have to watch what I'm buying now," said Ferry. "I have to really plan out what I'm going to eat next month, and what I'm going buy because I can't buy everything I would like or everything I need."

Along with a reduction in SNAP benefits, nearly 15 million Americans are at risk of losing health insurance now that the public health emergency has expired.

During the pandemic, the federal government prohibited states from kicking people off Medicaid. With the public health emergency ending, those deemed ineligible could lose their insurance.

"While the pandemic was on, a lot of people lost their jobs then qualified for Medicaid," said Pennie certified assister Lisa Cox. "Now the they've deemed the pandemic over, each month they will be getting an application and they want them to resubmit their income. Some of them are not going to qualify."

Pennie operates Pennsylvania’s state-based health insurance marketplace.

The company helped assist the Meadville YMCA with the food drive.

Pennie is preparing to help those who lose their Medicaid insurance.

"It's affecting a lot of people already," said Cox. "I'm getting quite a few calls and a lot of people are surprised as to how low their premium is. It is affordable for them."

This story is supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.