In a new video, the Shapiro Administration highlights the vital role SNAP benefits play in both feeding Pennsylvanians and supporting local farmers, grocers and retailers.
Philadelphia, PA – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh recently highlighted the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to helping Pennsylvanians get jobs during a tour of First Step Staffing, a job site that provides employment and training programs to people receiving food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
First Step Staffing is a SNAP Job Experience and Training Services (JETS) program, which gives participants the opportunity to develop job skills, gain real-world work experience, find good-paying jobs, and succeed in the workforce – with the ultimate goal of transitioning off of public assistance.
“SNAP is an essential benefit that helps two million Pennsylvanians live with dignity and safety by ensuring they can feed themselves and their families. Food insecurity does not happen in isolation,” said Secretary Arkoosh. “A lack of stable employment, training, or access to good paying jobs and longstanding issues like poor health or intergenerational poverty are underlying structural factors that can contribute to someone not having enough food to eat, and so we are proud to partner with First Step Staffing to build pathways to success for participants.”
SNAP JETS, formerly known as SNAP 50/50, allows non-profit organizations to leverage their own funding to provide career-specific skills training for people receiving SNAP benefits, and, in return, DHS provides a federally funded match back to the organization of up to 50 percent of the organization’s investment. SNAP JETS program participants gain skills through program completion that help them get a job and excel in career paths like culinary arts, hospitality, banking, health care, skilled labor, and more.
SNAP JETS partnerships come at no cost to the Commonwealth and create great value by helping individuals achieve greater economic security. SNAP JETS programs also help connect participants to additional support services, like transportation and child care assistance.
“First Step Staffing has the opportunity to see firsthand how the SNAP JETS program positively impacts the lives of Pennsylvania residents,” said Kellie Brownlow, Chief Mission Officer, First Step Staffing. “Through our ongoing partnership with SNAP JETS, First Step has had the privilege of helping more than 350 residents achieve self-sufficiency through employment, training, and support services. First Step Staffing is proud to witness the transformative effects of the SNAP JETS program on Pennsylvania residents. Our strong partnership with SNAP JETS has empowered us to help more than 350 individuals attain self-sufficiency through comprehensive employment, training, and support services. Together, we are making a meaningful difference in the community, providing the tools and resources needed for lasting success.”
First Step Staffing is one of Pennsylvania’s 20 SNAP JETS programs that operate throughout the Commonwealth and offer an array of education and training opportunities. Watch a video from the visit and learn more about SNAP JETS partnerships in Pennsylvania on DHS’ website.
ABOUT SNAP
SNAP is the country’s most important and most impactful anti-hunger program and, as of March 2025, helps more than 1.9 million Pennsylvanians, including more than 775k children and 395k older adults, buy groceries monthly. SNAP benefits can only be used to purchase food, and for every meal provided by Pennsylvania’s charitable food network, SNAP provides nine.
SNAP benefits are entirely federally funded, and, in addition to helping Pennsylvanians afford food, support more than 10,000 Pennsylvania grocers, retailers, and food producers. In March 2025, SNAP brought more than $357 million in federally funded food assistance benefits to Pennsylvania communities. Additionally, The United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Center found that for every $1 issued in federal SNAP benefits, it helps grow our economy by $1.54 through job retention and creation and income for farms and other agricultural producers.
For more information on DHS’ employment and training programs and to apply for SNAP or other public assistance programs, visit dhs.pa.gov.