What Hunger Looks Like this November

If you don’t work in social services or the anti-hunger sector, it might be easy to underestimate the gravity of the current situation.

It’s hard to articulate the scale of the catastrophe we face.

The government appears to be stalling to avoid using USDA contingency funds that would allow SNAP funding to continue despite the shutdown. It’s unclear if or when those funds will be distributed.

As a result on November 1st, 42 million Americans who depend on SNAP did not receive any money for food.

I’ve heard from several colleagues in the anti-hunger field that it feels a lot like the beginning of the pandemic- that moment when we confronted the reality that our emergency hunger system has nowhere near the capacity to meet the demands we face.

The difference is, in 2020 the federal government mobilized funds to ensure that food banks and pantries could scale up to support their communities. This time, there is no federal sympathy.

It’s clear that while we individually cannot solve hunger, it will be the individual efforts of our communities that help our neighbors get through this.

I find myself regularly dissolving into despair from the amount of suffering I see in the news, but I am buoyed by stories like the successful fundraising of this coffee shop to offer free breakfasts, and by farmers markets around the country changing their policies to maintain access to Double Up Food Bucks without requiring a SNAP match.

One of my favorites stories is from the small town in Eastern Oregon where I briefly lived, where farmers are donating truckloads of potatoes and telling people to “bring a box or plastic laundry basket” to take as much as they can carry. The notices don’t even mention hunger or SNAP- they just instruct the community to show up.  

Efforts like this both impact the lives of people experiencing hunger, but they also offer a concrete way for us to feel powerful, engaged, and connected at a time when it’s too easy to feel helpless and isolated.

Fighting hunger is good for you and your neighbors.

Here’s how you can support your community:

• Donate. Both funds and food are important. Food banks can often make cheaper purchases in bulk, so funds help them buy more food. For food pantries, it varies. Some may not do much of their own purchasing, in which case donating food is more useful. Check with the organization to see what their specific needs are.

Regarding food donations, consider what other ingredients are necessary to serve it. For example, donating macaroni and cheese requires milk or butter, which consumers may not have. Absolutely donate it- but please just add in other ingredients like canned soups and ready-to-eat meals.

• Host a food-specific food drive. By choosing a specific item, it’s easier for your community to focus and saves your food bank from having to do intensive sorting. Consider hosting a drive to collect soups, fruit, condiments, cereal, diapers, or other goods.

I’m personally passionate about encouraging donations of seasonings and spices- imagine eating canned beans or veggies without them!

• Volunteer. Anti-hunger organizations are slammed and need all the help they can get. Conversely, most are not set up to serve thousands of people or support hundreds of volunteers. While volunteers are an essential part of the process, good volunteer management is also intensive and exhausting. Please be kind and empathetic to the staff- there’s a very good chance that they are also SNAP recipients facing food insecurity.

• Support community efforts. Anti-hunger work doesn’t just have to happen in food banks and pantries. Maybe your neighborhood has a free little pantry you can fill. Perhaps the community garden is organizing donations of produce. Hopefully the school is facilitating a backpack program. If you can’t find something, start something!

• If you are in a position of financial power, use it! Forgive your tenants’ rent (don’t just defer- you can do better than that.) Give your employees bonuses or raises. How else can you use your resources to ensure your neighbors remain healthy and housed? If you’ve ever complained about crime or houselessness, now is your opportunity to actively prevent it. Hunger-free communities benefit us all.

The opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.

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