The Challenge of Food Pantries Facing Cuts to SNAP

If you haven’t yet read this New York Times article on the current state of SNAP, please do. It’s a much more powerful piece than I can articulate right now.

SNAP is a program intended to fight hunger by providing people with the resources they need to purchase the foods that best fit their culture and lifestyle. But under the current administration’s agenda, priorities have shifted. I don’t think it’s a mischaracterization to say that the current federal agenda is to eliminate access to food for people experiencing hunger.

As many anti-hunger advocates predicted, the program is slowly being dismantled and its increasing disfunction used as proof that it’s ineffective. In coming weeks, I expect to see an increase of rhetoric celebrating cuts to SNAP as a reduction in fraud while increasing numbers of Americans struggle to feed their families. The burden on food pantries is increasing.

What can food pantries do right now:

• Make sure your outreach language focuses on the importance of keeping your community fed, centering on the idea that everyone deserves to eat, unconditionally. (Get rid of any language about helping “the needy.”)

• Be honest with the community about your food supply. Many pantries are seeing overwhelming numbers of new shoppers right now. One of my biggest pet peeves is when pantries gaslight their shoppers by inventing reasons why they can’t have more food. There’s no reason to say anything besides the truth: “We’re trying to make sure we have enough for everyone which is why we can’t give you more. I know it’s not enough.” Acknowledging this reality demonstrates that you respect your shoppers and believe they deserve dignity, not lies.
  • Also, think long and hard about what your food limits are meant to do. Food sitting on your shelves may make you feel better about your food supply, but it doesn’t help fight hunger.

• When you have capacity, help your community connect with resources related to housing, healthcare, utilities and others. With cuts to SNAP, shopper have less money for food which means they now have less money to spend on rent, medicine, transportation and electricity. Support in these areas is just as powerful as food access.

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

Want to learn more about food justice? Subscribe so you never miss a post!