The United States government is currently in the second-longest funding lapse in history, lasting for 27 days as of publication time. The main reason for the shutdown is due to disputes between the Democratic and Republican parties over funding allocations for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. But the long-lasting government shutdown has begun to have other effects too, as almost 1.4 million federal employees across the country have not received their paychecks for the past month. Another huge impact will affect almost 40 million Americans across the country very soon, because the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has announced that SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits will not go out for the month of November due to the shutdown.
For those who don’t know, SNAP benefits are in place to provide low-income families monthly benefits that allow them to afford healthy food. The benefits are released on the first of every month, and they go out to almost 40 million beneficiaries across the country. Each month, the USDA releases around $8 billion in benefits, but for November, nobody will get those benefits. (For what it’s worth, the USDA does have contingency funding that could cover partial amounts of the November benefits, but the fund is designed for events like natural disasters, and the USDA released a memo saying that this current shutdown does not qualify.)
This means that many people and families across the country are going to be struggling to afford food very quickly, as they rely on these benefits every month to help them get by. This situation might make you feel powerless, especially as a college student who may not have much extra money to spare yourself. But there is actually a lot that can be done to help people struggling with food insecurity. From volunteering in your town to donating money to organizations that help people across the entire country, here are a few ways you can get involved.
Volunteer at Your Local Food Bank
Food banks are always looking for volunteers, and at most food banks, you can simply sign up for volunteer shifts right on their websites, so they make it really easy to get involved. Due to the loss of SNAP benefits, the demand at food banks across the country is likely going to skyrocket, so these places will need even more help to keep them stocked and functioning. Depending on the food bank, there are many different roles that you could fill, including packaging food, distributing it, or cooking and meal prepping. Feeding America has a helpful search tool that can help you find the closest food banks to you, so that you know where you can get started. Even if you volunteer a few hours, it can make a huge difference.
Donate Money
If you simply don’t have the time to volunteer, donating money to organizations that fight hunger can be just as beneficial. You can donate to Feeding America, your local food bank, or any other organization that you want to support. Any amount can make a big difference, so even if you only have $5 to spare, it can still help people.
Host a Food Drive
This is a great option for college students who are super busy and might not have time to volunteer on an organization’s set schedule, but still want to help out. This option is also super flexible; it can look like you and your friends just collecting some food and bringing it to the food bank, or the clubs and organizations that you are involved in could run a larger food drive and collect donations that way! If you decide to do this, reach out to your local food bank or check its website to see which foods it is in most need of, and then also be sure to coordinate when to drop the donations off.
Find and Stock Your Local Pop-Up Pantries
This might take some time to find, but some communities have pop-up pantries where community members can just drop off donations at any time, and people who need to take anything can just walk by and take what they need. These can look like fridges or other cabinets in community areas, and you can just stock it up with whatever food options you think would be most helpful! Or, if your community doesn’t have one, you could also start and set up your own. It doesn’t have to be anything big or crazy, and even just starting a small one can really help people in your community.
Volunteer with Other Organizations that Fight Hunger
So many organizations have made it their mission to help fight hunger, and they also need volunteers. One such organization is called Lasagna Love, and volunteers can make lasagnas and deliver it to people in their community struggling with food insecurity. Another cool one is Food Finders, which takes food that is going to be wasted and thrown into landfills and instead donating it to families in need. Finally, Meals on Wheels helps to deliver meals to senior citizens struggling with food insecurity. You can also research other programs in your community and see how you can get involved.
Take a Family Grocery Shopping
Although not everyone will have the means to do this, offering to take a local family or an individual in your community grocery shopping could make a huge difference in their lives. You could join community groups on Facebook or other platforms and post that you are able to do this, and see if anyone reaches out to you in need of assistance.