SNAP Loss Call to Action

After the prospect of a pause on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), we invited people in our community to share ideas about how to stand in the gap. After hearing back from many people at Northeast with connections and ideas, we narrowed down to a few recommendations to help us focus our impact together. We invited everyone who was able to participate in two of these ways over the month of November. Now that the government shutdown is over, these are still great ways to support our vulnerable neighbors:

Oregon Food Bank

• Financial Gifts - Making a financial gift to Oregon Food Bank is probably the most effective way to make your dollar go the furthest, as they are able to get special and bulk pricing on the most needed and helpful foods. They are also a distributor to a massive amount of smaller, local food pantries. There will be a heavy burden on them over the coming weeks.

Love Our City Community Food Pantry (formerly C3 Food Pantry)

• Volunteering - Love Our City has had a faithful presence in Northeast Portland (6120 NE 57th Ave) for decades, distributing hundreds of free boxes of nutritious food to our neighbors each week. They are in need of additional volunteers (in light of both SNAP and Thanksgiving) to help with picking up food, sorting food, and placing food boxes into vehicles on the day. Click here to begin the process.

• Financial Gifts - If you’re interested in giving directly to Love Our City, they ask that you do so through Williamette Week’s Give! Guide here.

There are a lot of other great ideas that have come up. Here are a few:

• HOLLA School is looking for the following for their families: WinCo food and gas gift cards (any amount); Girls’ and boys’ underwear (sizes 5–14); Pants and leggings (sizes 5–14); Shelf-stable pantry items

• Find a free fridge or mutual aid stand in your area and drop off a few items week to week.

• Find a "grocery buddy." If someone in your circle could use extra support, offer to take them grocery shopping (once or as often as you’re able). If you don’t personally know anyone in need, you can post an offer in a local neighborhood group.

• Purchase a "buy one, give one" copy of this cookbook (a 30-day full meal planned cookbook of nutritious meals on a tight budget). The creators are currently giving it away for free to anyone who needs it. Purchasing a copy helps them keep doing that (and the recipes look delicious). We bought one and plan to cook from it this month as a prayerful reminder of our neighbors’ needs. Also a great, free resource to share with anyone in your circle who may benefit.

• Plan to make extra! Sometimes spontaneously bringing someone a meal can take a big load off without any formal discussion needed around food insecurity (a vulnerable topic). Making a little extra of what you're already cooking is an easy way to do it.

• Buy few grocery store gift cards. With more folks likely to ask for help on the street this season, consider carrying a few grocery store gift cards. Even $10 can cover a meal or two, and it’s a safe, respectful way to help

These are the moments when we have a fresh opportunity to tangibly demonstrate the love and care of Jesus to our neighbors. Onward!