Help for those who SNAP benefits are stopped?

[once_upon]

Not sure where this should go, but there are many who have been affected by no SNAP cards. Any ideas on how one can help?

Food pantries only go so far, and maybe you want to help a neighbor? Ideas?

This might fit better in PI - but hopefully we can focus on how to help.

 

[sk8pics]

Well, one thing is to donate to the local food pantries and food banks. I know my local food bank lost some funding. I’m going there to pick up my CSA share and I’ll bring some food donations with me today.

 

[attyfan]

Maybe, find out if any local stores donate stuff that is still good, but not really saleable .... and start publicizing the good ones who do donate (and ask those that don't if they might be willing to start). Our local TJ's donates (and has for years) ... and we make sure they know that the donation is one reason why we like to shop there.

 

[skatfan]

I am sending funds to my local food bank because they stretch a dollar.

For individuals, grocery gifts cards are good - they support your local economy, and give choice to the recipient about what to buy.

 

[once_upon]

Food banks are great, there are some people who are proud of think they are undeserving. I'm not sure how to address some of those needs.

My church used to have a pastor who knew when some members didn't want others to know their circumstances. He would provide the outreach team with the # of Thanksgiving meals needed. Kept their circumstances not known to the others.

I don't know how to do that type of assistance

 

[sk8pics]

Food banks are great, there are some people who are proud of think they are undeserving. I'm not sure how to address some of those needs.

My church used to have a pastor who knew when some members didn't want others to know their circumstances. He would provide the outreach team with the # of Thanksgiving meals needed. Kept their circumstances not known to the others.

I don't know how to do that type of assistance

Suggest it to your current pastor?

 

[once_upon]

Suggest it to your current pastor?

I've become an unchurched Christian.

And Im not sure I'll find another one when we move.

 

[MacMadame]

Maybe, find out if any local stores donate stuff that is still good, but not really saleable .... and start publicizing the good ones who do donate (and ask those that don't if they might be willing to start). Our local TJ's donates (and has for years) ... and we make sure they know that the donation is one reason why we like to shop there.

FYI most of these places (at least where I am) do want you to arrange this ahead of time.

Some bakeries will donate any unsold items. Boudin does day-old bread. Noah does bagels. (Sometimes they throw in some pastries depending on who is at the counter.) You have to call ahead and they will give you a slot on the calendar so it might not be that day. I am not sure if you have to be a 501c3. (You don't for Boudin.)

Some grocery stores will do the same (baked goods/bread) and throw in about-to-expire dairy. The Raley's near us does this but you have to register for a regular slot. Our residents' club used to do Bread Runs every Sat. and Sun. morning, for example. But we lost the slot when we couldn't show up predictably.

That is all I know of in particular.

 

[gkelly]

I was thinking that my own employment situation is such that I don't feel I can afford to make significant monetary donations these days...

But I have received a lot of Amazon gift cards in the past few years and had built up a balance there that I don't really use. So I just found a local food bank that had a wish list with Amazon and sent them about $250 worth of items from their wish list.

 

[SkateSand]

I'm taking some canned goods (chicken and tuna) to our local food bank tomorrow. They specifically requested cans with snap tops so you don't need a can opener to open them.

 

[genevieve]

There is a food drive event at a park near me on Saturday, but I decided the best thing is to make donations to a few of the local food banks, as they have more purchasing power with cash and don't then have to check expiration dates etc on donated food.

Also a friend of mine posted on FB that she is a SNAP recipient, just to put a face to it for those who might need to see a real person in need to make a connection about it. I thought that was really insightful, and in this political climate, somewhat brave.

 

[Jay42]

I can't offer anything overly specific being in another country but I was reminded today of the Dollar Tree Dinners lady that I used to see on TikTok a couple of years back. Her whole thing is making nutritious meals with cheap ingredients. I found her YouTube channel for anyone who might want to check it out.

 

[Sarah]

I’ve hesitated to post this because the use of food banks is always controversial… but I’m concerned how hard hit they will be and how many folks will struggle.

If you don’t know, (most) food banks don’t have income requirements. They have always been a great resource for people who are struggling or need extra help but don’t necessarily qualify for government assistance. Sometimes this help is long term (unexpected bills due to accidents or lost wages), sometimes it is temporary, but food banks have always been a great resource. Without federal funding (both that food banks receive and the government assistance eligible individuals/families receive), I anticipate more demand on food banks.

I have done significant research on this topic and there is already a lot of stigma around the use of food banks (e.g. people should not use them if they aren’t out on the streets, if they have a car, a place to live, down to there last dollar, etc), but the assistance generally allows folks to survive, pay rent/mortgage, keep their cars, etc. If there isn’t enough, I can see this intermediary group struggling the most or going without.

Anyway, I’m not sure what my point is here. Just sharing a bit.

 

[pollyanna]

So I just found a local food bank that had a wish list with Amazon and sent them about $250 worth of items from their wish list.

That's what I did. The food bank had prioritized certain items, so I chose those to send. But it's such a small drop in the bucket.

 

[my little pony]

thanks for starting this yesterday, I lost my electricity for a little bit and was unable to check back

I was specifically concerned for people that are reluctant to use food banks. my one neighbor was willing to let me provide her with dog food which will provide a little relief for her.

a friend of mine who is a chef had offered people on snap a full meal on her that she would deliver and people have been donating to her because the demand was so high.

I picked up some gift cards for local stores for a couple of people that I know wouldnt use a food bank but they were ok accepting the card.

and another neighbor who is elderly cant drive anymore and uses taxis and Ubers but wouldnt take the gift card, I made a date to drive her to the market that will save her some cash that she can put toward food.

I agree that there is a lot of stigma, I am not sure how to help normalize that it's ok to need help.

 

[my little pony]

also there is a pet food pantry in my county. just going off my experience with my neighbors, some people may be more likely to seek help there than for themselves.

 

[MacMadame]

I have done significant research on this topic and there is already a lot of stigma around the use of food banks (e.g. people should not use them if they aren’t out on the streets, if they have a car, a place to live, down to there last dollar, etc), but the assistance generally allows folks to survive, pay rent/mortgage, keep their cars, etc. If there isn’t enough, I can see this intermediary group struggling the most or going without.

Preventing homelessness is very important. Food banks help.

In our trailer park, not only does a local food bank come by 2x a month, but there is a culture that if you put anything you don't want on a table in the community room, it's up for grabs. The leftover food from the food bank is as well.

The mini-food bank that one of our residents is setting up in the room with a fridge will be the same. The culture is that people don't want this stuff anymore so you might as well take it rather than "this is just for the people on the verge of starving to death."

 

[Dobre]

Schools here often have a backpack program. Children receive backpacks full of food on Fridays to take home with them for the weekend. In some cases--if there is need for multiple individuals at home--a child might even sign up for more than one backpack to take home. Anyway, if you know of a family that is newly experiencing need, maybe let the school know so that they can touch base and/or suggest the family inquire whether a local school provides such a program.

I checked online to see if there was a way to look up which schools offer this service, but it seems like there are multiple different programs which do.

This appears to be one:

BackPack Program | Feeding America

Backpack programs provide families with free groceries for the weekends and school breaks. See if one of the 11,000 backpack programs in our network is near you.

www.feedingamerica.org

 

[kwanfan1818]

I thought this was in Frederick Wiseman's film, "Monrovia, Indiana," but I don't see it referenced in any of the reviews I can find. In a documentary film I saw, one of the storylines was about a family where the father had been unemployed for a while, while the mother and, IIRC, twin daughters, one of whom wanted to go to college, had jobs, if part time. They used to pool their money and go to the supermarket in the middle of the night and fill the refrigerator, so that the father didn't have to feel humiliated that he was being supported by his family. There was also a scene where a teacher brought the college-aspirational daughter into a spare room in the high school, which was a combination food and toiletries pantry, so that she could get the shampoo or conditioner she couldn't afford. It was all done privately; no one in the family would have been caught dead accepting anything publicly. Sometimes, that's the only way it works.

 

[sk8pics]

and another neighbor who is elderly cant drive anymore and uses taxis and Ubers but wouldnt take the gift card, I made a date to drive her to the market that will save her some cash that she can put toward food.

This is lovely. Perhaps you will be able to make it a semi-regular thing. I’m sure your neighbor would appreciate it and maybe also the company.

also there is a pet food pantry in my county. just going off my experience with my neighbors, some people may be more likely to seek help there than for themselves.

Yes, the shelter I volunteer with has a pet food bank too. People can come once in a calendar month to get food. When I’m working at the front desk it’s not uncommon for a dozen people to come in asking for help.

 

[caseyedwards]

Obviously to contact Democrat senators and tell them to stop filibustering

 

[once_upon]

1 in 7 Alabama residents are on SNAP.
1 in 10 Alaska residents are on SNAP.
1 in 8 Arizona residents are on SNAP.
1 in 13 Arkansas residents are on SNAP.
1 in 7 California residents are on SNAP.
1 in 10 Colorado residents are on SNAP.
1 in 9 Connectcuit residents are on SNAP.
1 in 9 Delaware residents are on SNAP.
1 in 5 D.C. residents are on SNAP.
1 in 8 Florida residents are on SNAP.
1 in 8 Georgia residents are on SNAP.
1 in 9 Hawai'i residents are on SNAP.
1 in 15 Idaho residents are on SNAP.
1 in 7 Illinois residents are on SNAP.
1 in 11 Indiana residents are on SNAP.
1 in 12 Iowa residents are on SNAP.
1 in 16 Kansas residents are on SNAP.
1 in 8 Kentucky residents are on SNAP.
1 in 5 Louisiana residents are on SNAP.
1 in 8 Maine residents are on SNAP.
1 in 9 Maryland residents are on SNAP.
1 in 6 Massachusetts residents are on SNAP.
1 in 7 Michigan residents are on SNAP.
1 in 13 Minnesota residents are on SNAP.
1 in 8 Mississippi residents are on SNAP.
1 in 10 Missouri residents are on SNAP.
1 in 14 Montana residents are on SNAP.
1 in 13 Nebraska residents are on SNAP.
1 in 6 Nevada residents are on SNAP.
1 in 18 New Hampshire residents are on SNAP.
1 in 11 New Jersey residents are on SNAP.
1 in 5 New Mexico residents are on SNAP.
1 in 7 New York residents are on SNAP.
1 in 8 North Carolina residents are on SNAP.
1 in 16 North Dakota residents are on SNAP.
1 in 9 Ohio residents are on SNAP.
1 in 6 Oklahoma residents are on SNAP.
1 in 6 Oregon residents are on SNAP.
1 in 7 Pennsylvania residents are on SNAP.
1 in 8 Rhode Island residents are on SNAP.
1 in 9 South Carolina residents are on SNAP.
1 in 12 South Dakota residents are on SNAP.
1 in 10 Tennessee residents are on SNAP.
1 in 10 Texas residents are on SNAP.
1 in 21 Utah residents are on SNAP.
1 in 10 Vermont residents are on SNAP.
1 in 11 Virginia residents are on SNAP.
1 in 9 Washington residents are on SNAP.
1 in 6 West Virginia residents are on SNAP.
1 in 8 Wisconsin residents are on SNAP.
1 in 20 Wyoming residents are on SNAP.

If you live in any of these places, even if you personally don't receive benefits, the odds are high that you know someone who does depend on SNAP. They're your neighbors, your friends, the girl at the coffee shop who remembers your order every morning, the guy who fills your prescriptions, the woman who delivered your sushi.

A good reminder. There are a lot of people who are going to be hungry. A lot of people who work and need SNAP to provide food for their families and themselves

 

[caseyedwards]

It’s so important to democrats they are filibustering it

 

[once_upon]

It’s so important to democrats they are filibustering it

It's so important to MAGA and GOP to kill ACA (or Obama care) to refuse to call into session.

That and to bury the Epstein files

 

[caseyedwards]

It's so important to MAGA and GOP to kill ACA (or Obama care) to refuse to call into session.

That and to bury the Epstein files

House republicans already passed a clean CR and have a bill on one year extension of Obamacare bailout with income caps

Ok #blueanon

 

[Prancer]

This is not a PI thread. If you want to argue about the politics of this, take it to PI.

 

[once_upon]

Oops - I even said that in the first point. Sorry

 

[Garden Kitty]

A friend works at a school for children with disabilities. They just established a wishlist for food items to help their students and families, so I purchased a number of items from the wishlist to be sent to the school. Schools in other local areas may have similar programs.

 

[my little pony]

This is lovely. Perhaps you will be able to make it a semi-regular thing. I’m sure your neighbor would appreciate it and maybe also the company.

I will. also since she has a 2nd pair of hands and a car, we can get heavier things/bulk etc of things she uses a lot which I think is helpful.

 

[Prancer]

As SNAP benefits run dry, 'grocery buddies' are footing their neighbors' food bills

In response to the limbo, there has been a wave of people nationwide on social media participating in an informal grocery buddy system until benefits are restored. Some "buddies" are sending gift cards, while others are shopping and dropping off groceries.