SNAP Response
Dear Co-op Members,
As you may have heard, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has only been partially funded for November. This means that nearly 42 million people and families across the country will have reduced access to essential food assistance. The impact on our own community will be significant.
If you’re not familiar with SNAP, it’s the largest federal nutrition assistance program in the United States. It provides monthly funds to lower-income individuals and families to help them buy groceries. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and implemented by each state.
SNAP benefits are distributed through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which works like a debit card and can be used at co-ops, farmers' markets, and most grocery stores. Typically, those cards are loaded with funds at the start of each month, when recipients receive, on average, $187 per person. Even under normal circumstances, SNAP funds often run low by week three, so the first of the month is when families count on their next refill.
It’s unacceptable that our government would allow millions of people to go hungry.
One of our core values at the Co-op is to treat people well, and we take that value to heart. Here are some ways in which, working together, we can help nourish our community.
Support the Give Jefferson Campaign. We have posted yard signs at the co-op, and the flier is posted on the community board. Funds donated to Give Jefferson support a number of non-profits that work with food access. (www.givejefferson.org)
During November and December, through our Change For Change program funds raised at the register support the Jefferson County Food Banks Association (JCFBA). In 2024 we collected over $20,000. This year those funds will help purchase locally grown food for their customers.
Our Buy One Get One Free, BOGO, sales event is ongoing throughout November. Not only can you save, but you can also share those savings by giving one of those items to the Food Bank, we call it “Buy One Give One” There's a collection box at the front of the store, just past the registers.
We always have a food bank donation bin. One of our customers shops twice; the first time for the food bank and the second time for himself!
I imagine there are even more ways in which we will—and do- help our neighbors. Even after SNAP benefits are restored, there will still be a huge gap to fill at JCFBA. They already serve approximately 3,300 households every month, and there's a huge backlog of people who have applied for benefits due to the government shutdown and weakening job market. It will take months to resolve this backlog, so please consider giving to Give Jefferson or giving (again) to the food bank when shopping at the Co-op.
With gratitude,
Kenna
