Beyond SNAP: Ways to fight hunger you may not have thought of yet.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced it will not use emergency funds to pay out SNAP benefits in the midst of the government shutdown, leaving millions of Americans without supplemental income to buy groceries on November 1. Although some states are working to cover this funding gap for its residents, at least half have confirmed that their residents won’t receive their benefits this weekend.

This standoff is part of an intentional campaign weaponizing care for political gain. The USDA website has a banner across the top of its page blaming Senate Democrats for “hold[ing] out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures,” a dehumanizing dog whistle that inaccurately describes what’s at the heart of the shutdown. Democrats are fighting to renew Affordable Care Act tax credits that make health care premiums more accessible.

The Trump administration could use emergency funding to address the food gap, but are choosing not to. In the interim, it’s up to us to support those around us in need. Here are a few direct ways you can get involved.

Do more for your trick-or-treaters.

If you celebrate Halloween and expect trick-or-treaters to your home, this is a great time to learn more about your neighbors and what they need. You can think beyond candy and also hand out snacks or meals with substance, like instant mac and cheese, oatmeal, or ramen. If you have the capacity, offering a choice is ideal so everyone can choose their own adventure! Also, some of your neighbors may not be able to afford candy to pass out, so if you can, maybe you can be more generous than years prior.

Be a grocery / meal buddy.

Join local Facebook groups or use apps like Nextdoor to see who may need a helping hand near you (I saw a request on our local Buy Nothing page). Apps like MealTrain, Instacart or DoorDash include ways to send gift certificates with ease, or allow you to order food and send to someone without sharing your payment information. Or, you can offer to purchase and deliver groceries yourself.

Help your local food bank.

Unless told otherwise, consider donating cash. That way, your local food bank can buy the supplies their community needs, and you’re not contributing to overstocked goods. If you have time, volunteer.

If you work at a company that has a match program, you may be able to double your impact by making a financial donation and asking them to match!

Find your local food bank >

Support your local free fridge.

Free fridge programs have struggled to stay sustainable since their explosive growth in 2020, but many are still here providing comprehensive support to hungry communities. Offer to stock a fridge for a day (you can make a baking/cooking party out of it) or commit to dropping off a couple things each week. Some community fridges would prefer a financial donation, others are prioritizing volunteer support, so check with the organizers to see what’s most useful before you get started.

Find a fridge near you >

Check in with your local school.

Teachers and school administration tend to have an acute understanding of what their community needs. You may be able to support school-led initiatives near you. If you have a child at a school, consider checking in with their teacher or the PTA. If you don’t, stop by an open house or check their bulletin boards or social media profiles to see if there’s any calls-to-action for neighbors.

Rally your workplace.

If you’ve got a white-collar 9-5 job, this is a great opportunity to put that corporate altruism to good use. See if your team could volunteer at a food bank or take on a local community fridge. Some corporations already have partnerships with food bank initiatives like Feeding America or The Global FoodBanking Network, which can be a good place to start.

Call your reps.

The government shutdown isn’t just affecting SNAP–it’s keeping our federal workers unpaid and threatening access to affordable healthcare. Use this form to demand your representatives to find a solution and end the shutdown.

Things to remember:

• SNAP benefits usually don’t cover the amount of groceries that an average family needs. Anything you provide can be really helpful to keeping communities fed.

• SNAP provides, on average, $187 to 41.7 million people each and every month. 39% of those recipients are children, and 19% are adults over the age of 60.

• This affects communities beyond SNAP recipients – it can decrease spending at your local grocery stores, stifling the local economy and potentially affecting employees. Going hungry makes it more difficult for kids to attend school and adults to go to work. A lack of spending can cause groceries to become more expensive.

• The WIC program, which provides food assistance to low-income pregnant people and babies, is also poised to run out of money if the shutdown continues.