Local nonprofits are scrambling to rally resources for residents and families whose federal food assistance ends in a matter of days.
By Nov. 1, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will no longer provide monthly allowances for nearly 37,000 low-income residents in Leon County, according to 2022 data from the Federal Reserve Economic Data or FRED.
The program’s suspension was caused by the federal shutdown, which now is entering its fourth week and showing no immediate signs of being resolved.
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Fresh produce, meat and dairy food that was slated to be given to families for the Thanksgiving holiday is now going out four weeks sooner than planned, said Monique Elsworth, who heads the Second Harvest of the Big Bend, the region’s largest food bank.
“We’ve made the call to go ahead and box all of that up,” she said, referring to last week’s food shipment that was intended for the holiday. “Even with our Thanksgiving distribution, we’re planning for 1,000 families … The impact here locally is just going to be so extraordinary.”
Second Harvest is now preparing to serve 1,500 families — the largest distribution in the nonprofit’s history. This historic event begins at 7 a.m. Saturday in the former Sears parking lot at Governor Square mall, 1500 Apalachee Parkway.
Every family will get frozen ground beef, a dozen eggs, milk, a box of fresh produce and shelf-stable foodstuffs, such as pasta. Elsworth said it should be enough to feed a family for one week, depending on the size of the household.
When asked how the agency will serve residents beyond this historic distribution, Elsworth said the agency will be forced to dig deep and scour its network for resources and potential donors.
Other nonprofits are pitching in where it is possible to ease the financial burden once the SNAP program ends.
Farm Share, billed as Florida’s largest independent food bank, has set two Tallahassee food distributions in the days ahead. The organization has been combating food insecurity since 1991 by tapping into surplus crops from Florida farmers to distribute fresh and nutritious food to those in need.
The first distribution will be at Destiny Church at 5295 Corwin Drive on Oct. 31 from 6 to 7 p.m. A second giveaway will occur at the Leon County Supervisor of Elections office at 2990-1 Apalachee Parkway on Nov. 8 from 8 to 9 a.m.
At the Oasis Center for Women and Girls, the organization is hosting a donation drive with an Amazon Wish List and asking residents to support it. Staffers are also collecting food items for the on-site pantry at Oasis, especially if the SNAP program doesn’t resume.
Raven James, a women’s counselor at Oasis, said the nonprofit estimates that about 85 families of clients would be impacted by SNAP’s ending.
“We do have a lot of women, just based off the population that we serve, that are on benefits,” James said. “So, they are doing everything by themselves, whether if they’re full-time working, they’re taking care of the kids on their own.”
They’re worried, James said, about the moms. They’re forced to make tough decisions on how they can afford groceries for the next month and beyond — on top of their other expenses like childcare and housing.
“Some of them have the support of their families. But, a lot of moms that come and utilize services with us, they don’t have that support,” James said. “So, we’re trying our best to provide them with that support.”
â–¶As food assistance gets cut-off, how is your family faring? If you rely on SNAP assistance to feed your family or are struggling through the shutdown, contact us at news@tallahassee.com to share your story. If you need food for your family or want to help the many organizations helping their neighbors avoid hunger, visit tallahassee.com.
Contact Economic Development Reporter TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com and follow @TaMarynWaters on X.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee nonprofits organize food distributions as SNAP ends