NEW YORK (AP) — Your neighbors might soon need extra assistance putting food on the table.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture planned on Nov. 1 to begin freezing food aid payments used by about 1 in 8 Americans for groceries. A cornerstone of the nation's social safety net, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was said to be out of funds as the government shutdown entered its second month.
Though two federal judges ruled simultaneously on Friday
that the program must be kept going with contingency money, some experts estimate that even a one-month pause would plunge nearly 3 million low-income recipients into poverty. The charitable food system, already strained by the rising cost of living and Trump administration aid cuts, has braced all week for an overwhelming surge from the 42 million people who rely on SNAP.
Regardless of how SNAP funding shakes out, philanthropy can't fill the growing gap. Food banks, pantries and other nonprofits maintain they are equipped to be the last resort — not the essential service many feel they've been impossibly tasked with providing.
But they say you can still ease hardship in your community. Here's how:
You can search for nearby food aid groups by entering your ZIP code on https://www.findhelp.org or Feeding America 's website.
Donation preferences will vary but most food banks say that cash is more helpful than canned goods. They know which products are needed most in their area and can stretch every dollar to buy them at cheaper prices. Monetary donations also give flexibility to purchase culturally relevant products and special dietary foods that don't often show up in their donation streams.
Because they spend so much money buying food, many wholesalers offer them deeper discounts and even donated items. For example, Island Harvest President Randi Shubin Dresner said her food bank spends about $7 million annually on food purchases. They recently bought large enough quantities that the distributor then donated 25,000 pounds of peanut butter.
“We have relationships,” she said. “We leverage those relationships all the time — but especially at times of disaster or high crisis need.”
But some pantries might want donated food. Corie Burke said the situation is so dire in her rural North Carolina community that Glen Alpine Food Pantry just needs more product.
Many also need volunteers to pick up, sort or deliver food. Burke said older generations are “aging out of their ability to do physical labor” and that pantries can't get enough able-bodied people to lift the 60 pounds she routinely has to carry.
Hunger relief groups emphasize that their clientele shouldn't be treated as desperate enough to just accept whatever food comes their way.
“Think about when you’re sitting with your family at a meal,” Dresner said. “It’s not just that you’re eating. You want to feel good about what you’re eating.”
Needs will vary from community to community. But here's a list of some recommended food donations that provide nutrition, flavor and dignity:
1. Canned protein such as beans, meat or fish
2. Chunky, low-sodium soup
3. Dry rice
4. Canned vegetables
5. Peanut butter
6. Boxed mac and cheese.
7. Spices
Dresner added that many food banks accept just about any nonfood item you can find at the store. She suggested donating personal care products because many families may stop buying them when the loss of cash assistance forces them to make difficult decisions about what they can and cannot put in the grocery cart.
It's also worth thinking about cultural food preferences and dietary restrictions. Those who follow Muslim or Jewish religious traditions might look for halal or kosher products. Food banks also need alternatives for vegetarian and gluten free recipients.
Food banks tend to already get fresh produce from retail partners and special USDA support. But this fall could look different after the Trump administration cut a nutrition program that buys commodities from U.S. farmers for emergency food providers.
Mutual aid refers to reciprocal support networks of neighbors who promptly meet each other’s most pressing needs when existing systems fail to make them whole. They emphasize “solidarity” with each other as opposed to “charity" for another beneficiary.
The groups have grown in popularity since the coronavirus pandemic exposed gaps in the social safety net. You can search for ones near you at https://www.mutualaidhub.org/ or find their pages on social media sites such as Instagram.
This localized form of support can be especially helpful for marginalized folks — such as people with disabilities or medically fragile children — who are physically unable to line up at food distribution sites.
The Free Formula Exchange is an example of a nationwide mutual aid network. The free online tool connects families who need baby formula with others donating theirs.
Your neighborhood might also have what's known as a community fridge. These are fridges, perhaps powered by a participating local business, where neighbors place food for anyone to grab. Search for one at https://freedge.org/ or ChangeX.
“You don’t need to prove that you are poor to access those benefits,” said Freedge co-founder Ernst Bertone Oehninger. “The fridge doesn’t ask you any question. You can just go and help yourself with the food that’s there.”
The benefit is that they are centrally located and accessible. Many community fridges run 24/7. Donation guidelines vary and often depend on the jurisdiction’s food code.
Oehninger can’t promise that Freedge's database is completely up-to-date or an exhaustive list of every location out there. They recommend checking Instagram, where many community fridges post their current needs.
GiveDirectly is delivering one-time $50 cash transfers to households with children that receive the maximum SNAP allotment.
The nonprofit is partnering with Propel, an app that helps millions manage their benefits, to send funds on the same day that recipients lose out on their usual SNAP deposit. The effort is aimed at immediately empowering families to meet their individual needs with no strings attached and without having to wait in long lines.
The public can donate to the emergency response at GiveDirectly's website. Propel already committed $1 million and GiveDirectly says the “more we can raise, the more days we can cover families who missed their SNAP payments.”
The for-profit crowdfunding platform has put together a centralized Feeding Communities Hub where users can find verified fundraisers and nonprofits seeking help affording groceries, stocking pantries, distributing meals or funding mobile food banks.
GoFundMe.org's Essentials Fund also provides cash grants to those struggling to afford everyday necessities. The independent nonprofit is committing at least $350,000 from October through December to help get people back on their feet.
Very little safety net is left once you take away SNAP.
It's not possible for a nonprofit network to fully fill the gap in food insecurity, according to Christopher Wimer, the co-director of Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy. Consider that Feeding America says food pantries provide about 1 meal to every 9 provided by SNAP.
“The best thing would be a robust SNAP program that’s not being turned on and turned off because of the shutdown,” Wimer said.
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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
