Access the PDF Guide: https://www.embodylib.com/keeping-each-other-fed-community-action-guide
Millions of people across the U.S. are at risk of going hungry as the government shutdown continues and SNAP (formerly food stamps) benefits are expected to stop after November 1.
An administration that continues to prioritize power and profit over people’s basic needs does not want us to thrive.
It is time to act.
The following guide offers practical ways to respond and help:
Your family and friends
Your neighbors
Your community
Our Nation
Feed Your Family & Friends
If you have loved ones who rely on SNAP or other benefits, here’s how you can help:
Give cash. Cash is flexible, dignified, and lets people buy what they need with no strings attached.
Cost-share groceries. Invite friends or family to shop with you and split the bill. Sharing costs is a simple way to stretch resources, and in most places, a person can feed themselves for about $30–$50 a week with basic staples like:
Rice, dried pasta, oats, bread
lower cost proteins like canned or dried beans, eggs, bulk meats (ground beef, chicken thighs, pork loin, etc.)
Shelf-stable milk, block cheese, large containers of yogurt
Ready-to-eat meals like rotisserie chicken, frozen bean and cheese burritos, canned soups, and low-cost produce like onions, carrots, potatoes, Apples and bananas (or other low-cost seasonal fruit), Frozen or canned vegetables
Make extra food and share. Cooking a little more than you need can go a long way. Invite friends for dinner, pack an extra plate, or drop off leftovers. A hot meal nourishes the body and offers much-needed connection.
Feed Your Neighbors
If your close circle is stable, turn your attention outward. Here are a few things you can do to help your neighbors (especially elders, Trans youth, and families with young children) who might be struggling.
Share what’s in your cupboard. Add canned goods, spices, and cooking oils to your neighborhood’s Little Free Library, community fridge, or neighborhood pantry.
Get to know what’s in your area. Locate the 10 nearest pantries, churches, soup kitchens, and grocery giveaways and learn about them. (www.findhelp.org is a good plac to start.)
Volunteer your time. Join your local mutual aid network or community food pantry to help sort, pack, and deliver food
Share resources. Print or post “Find Food” resource flyers in your neighborhood, apartment building, or online community group. The right information at the right time might be what helps them get their next meal.
Donate Cash or Food. Local community-based organizations (CBOs) can make dollars stretch to food in bulk that meet their community’s cultural and dietary needs.
Feed Your Community (City/Town)
Strategic mobilization helps communities stay resilient in times of crisis.
Volunteer to prep and cook meals. Help prepare or serve hot meals at soup kitchens, shelters, or other congregate meal sites.
Organize a fundraiser. Fundraising goes much further than canned food drives. Coordinate an event to raise money for your area food bank.
Advocate for state action. Contact your governor and state legislators. Ask them to declare a state of emergency and allocate state funds to continue emergency SNAP benefits.
Feed the Nation
The fight for food security IS political. The fight for our survival is collective.
Hold Congress Accountable. Connect with your members of Congress and demand that they take action to end the shutdown and restore essential safety net programs.
Make your voice heard. Join or support organizing collectives, advocacy groups, and mass demonstrations. Collective action works and reminds those in power that we are not backing down.
Keep resisting. Challenge apathy and misinformation among your family and friends. Refuse to normalize military occupation, government overreach, and neglect of basic needs.
And most importantly: