Just saw this and wanted to share since it affects a lot of people. SNAP benefits got cut off on November 1st because of the government shutdown. That’s 42 million people who just lost their food assistance.
Matthew 25:35 - “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.”
Food banks are getting slammed right now. A lot of churches are seeing way more people showing up for help than usual. Good to see Churches across the country helping, but it can’t be easy to keep up.
The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries set up an emergency program - they’re giving out grants up to $2,000 to food ministries and pantries. 50 grants available through December 15th if any churches here want to apply.
Roland Fernandes from Global Ministries said they’re already seeing surges in requests and it’s only going to get worse the longer this drags on. Does anyone know how long this shutdown is supposed to last? Or if your church has been dealing with more people at the food pantry lately?
Please keep the families affected in your prayers.
Our food pantry has seen about triple the usual number of families this past week. These aren’t just the folks we typically serve - we’re seeing working families, elderly couples who’ve never asked for help before, young parents with kids who are just trying to make it through.
The scripture really speaks to this moment. We’re called to feed the hungry, and right now there are so many hungry.
I did some digging on that Global Ministries program since our church council was asking about it. It’s called “Feeding Our Neighbors” and any United Methodist congregation with a food ministry or pantry can apply.
The shutdown has been going on for 38 days now - it’s officially the longest in U.S. history. Food banks are calling this a “perfect storm” because they’re dealing with increased demand while also having less federal support than before.
What’s encouraging is seeing churches across different denominations stepping up. Episcopal, Presbyterian, Catholic parishes - everyone’s mobilizing their food ministries. But the reality is we can supplement, not replace, what these federal programs provide. Still, we do what we can with what we have. That’s our witness.
Nearly 39% of SNAP recipients are children and adolescents under 18. That’s millions of kids who aren’t getting the food they need.
What gets me is that all of this is happening right before Thanksgiving. These are families who should be planning holiday meals with their kids, and instead, they’re wondering where their next meal comes from. Not everyone can volunteer at a pantry, but most of us could redirect some of our grocery money to help stock the shelves.