After 43 days, the longest government shutdown in United States history ended at last. Americans have a couple months of breathing room before we have to worry about the potential for a resumed shutdown in January. For the millions of American’s receiving SNAP benefits and other forms of food assistance, however, the end of the shutdown is only partially comforting. Food assistance is back online, and the government will be restoring full benefits for the month of November, but how long will those benefits last? Six weeks of hardship and insecurity can’t be erased with the stroke of a pen. Furthermore, the entire country now realizes how tenuous its food security program truly is.
The Effects of Food Insecurity
Food insecurity — already painfully high in many communities — is taking its toll. Here in the northeast, requests for fuel support have skyrocketed. Many SNAP recipients had to spend the money they were saving for winter heating costs on food last month. At the low barrier food pantry nearby, foot traffic is constant all day and the shelves are continually running low. After school, kids stop by to pick up sandwiches or apples. Over 15 percent of the town receives SNAP benefits: without them, people struggle to eat while also heating their houses and buying gas for their cars.
Like many struggling communities, my little town banded together to support each other during the shutdown. The parish food bank wasn’t the only place to go for support. In fact, around the country, communities of people affected by the shutdown have found ways to support each other. While the shutdown is over now, trust in the system won’t be coming back soon. Fortunately, the mutual aid practices we’ve planned and begun can and should continue, so next time we face a similar situation, we’re ready.
Food Pantries and Food Banks
Every Monday, my father and his friend Bill load up the truck and drive from house to house delivering food. He belongs to an organization called Civic Concern, which provides food to members of his local community. As he distributes food, he gets to know the people on his route: what they like, what they dream about, what they need.
He’s started buying a particular brand of cereal to give to one child on his route, and he’s talking someone else through a basic budget plan. Providing food on a smaller scale than the large food banks gives the members of Civic Concern an opportunity to connect with individuals. When we’re looking for a way to jump into the fight against food insecurity in a local way, small organizations are often the best first step.
But even if you’re not quite up to joining an organization, there are local ways to support your neighbors.
Small-Scale Support
If you live in a neighborhood, consider inviting your neighbors to a food drive. Ask everyone to bring a few shelf-stable but easy-to-prepare foods. Then, bring your contributions to a local food bank. Neighborhood food drives are a great, low-commitment way to come together as a community to support each other.
Additionally, if you’re looking for social opportunities, a neighborhood food drive can even become a neighborhood open house. Getting to know your neighbors is often one of the best ways to support each other through tough times. If our neighbors know us, they can reach out when life gets hard.
You can also open up the food drive to other necessities. Paper products, personal hygiene items, and other essentials would be a great addition to a food drive. Remember that for a lot of people, the lack of SNAP benefits required them to spend money on groceries that otherwise would have gone towards non-edible necessities. Now that benefits have been restored, that money — budgeted for diapers, heat, electricity, or toilet paper — is still gone. The need for support in these essentials is still very real.
Related Article: Alora Aims to Combat Food Insecurity by Taking Farming to the Ocean
Seemingly Little Efforts by Many People Make Big Changes Happen
Another, more introvert-friendly way to help is by simply setting up a jar in your house to collect loose change. It doesn’t feel like a lot, but at the end of the month, take whatever you’ve managed to save and use it to buy food for local food pantries. Even a few dollars can go a long way.
If you’re not sure where your money is most needed, reach out. Often there are groups like Civic Concern, or just your local church or mosque. Religious organizations tend to see a lot of requests for help from people in the neighborhood, and often, they know where your donation will be most needed. It’s also ok to say, “I’d like to donate this for food assistance only.”
Volunteering
Along with collecting food and other necessities, offering to help distribute that food is important. One local church near me offers a complete, sit down Thanksgiving dinner for people of all ages. This is another low-barrier event, meaning that participants don’t have to meet any specific income requirements. Unlike larger food banks, this meal is open to anyone. But they are always looking for volunteers to cook, serve, and clean up.
Soup kitchens, food banks, and local food drives are always looking for new volunteers. Unfortunately, in the past 20 years, the ranks of volunteers have declined. It’s harder and harder for organizations to find willing volunteers. But without volunteers, many wonderful programs will pass away. We need to step up and support our neighbors more than ever, so don’t be afraid to volunteer. Whether you’re serving food, delivering meals, or cleaning up after an event, your contribution is necessary.
Seeking Out Support Beyond SNAP
If you spend time on social media, you may see requests for help on local pages. People reach out to ask where they can go for fuel, food, or rent relief. You can help by getting to know the resources in your community. That way, it’s easy to pass along the information to those in need.
For example, I recently talked to an elderly woman at the grocery store. We were comparing the prices of meat and she mentioned that she was still reeling from the days without SNAP benefits. She told me that she was spending her heating money on food. So I let her know about the fuel fund managed by a local church and gave her the contact information.
That lovely lady left feeling more hopeful than she had in months, knowing there were options for her and people who cared. Sometimes, all it takes is a listening ear and a calm, friendly interaction with someone who’s interested in hearing your story.
Having information about local resources on hand can help people find the help they need, when they need it. But even if you don’t have resources to share, keep in mind that most people have a huge, unmet need to be seen and cared about. We all want to matter to people in our community. If you have nothing else to donate, give your time and attention to the people you meet.
A smile and a little sympathy can go a long, long way.
Links to Food Benefits and Other Relief Organizations
Whether you’re struggling with food insecurity, you’d like to make a donation, or you know others who are experiencing difficulty, there are helpful options available. Here are links to some of the organizations that may be of assistance:
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
Hunger Hotline
1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE for Spanish
This hotline can provide helpful information about food banks, soup kitchens, and additional services.
Featured Image: “Snap EBT Card Food Assistance Walmart buy vegetable plants and Fruit Trees 7/2014. Pics by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube. #EBTCard #SnapCard #WalmartStores #FoodAssistance” by Mike Mozart, CC BY 2.0