How to Best Support Your Local Food Bank During Shutdown SNAP Delays

The government shutdown has reached its second month. And the 5.5 million Californians who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps — have seen their November SNAP payments delayed.

And it’s still unclear how SNAP payments will be distributed this month. On Nov. 3, President Donald Trump’s administration said it would use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s contingency fund to provide SNAP payments in November after all, having previously claimed that it could not tap this fund.

But the White House warned that payments would still only be half of people’s regular benefits, and that there could be lengthy delays before EBT cards are reloaded. And on Nov. 4, Trump again threatened to withhold SNAP payments entirely — before a judge ruled a second time that the White House must pay these benefits in full by Nov. 7.

On Nov. 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed that some CalFresh recipients have begun to see benefits payments arrive in full onto their EBT cards, but it’s not yet clear how these funds will continue to roll out, especially since the Trump administration asked a federal appeals court Friday to block the judge’s order.

Around the Bay Area, food banks are working to meet the needs of thousands of people who have seen their access to food greatly reduced aleady, with the Thanksgiving holidays fast approaching.

And if you don’t need the services of a food bank right now, you might be wondering how to best support your local nonprofit providing food assistance to your neighbor, either by volunteering your time or donating to them financially.

Keep reading for how Bay Area food banks say you can most effectively support them during the shutdown. And remember: The quickest way to offer your support is by visiting an organization’s website and signing up there to volunteer or make a donation.

Don’t feel you need to wait until the holidays to volunteer or donate

“The holidays are definitely busier times when we tend to get more volunteers coming in,” said Elizabeth Gomez, vice president of impact at the Alameda County Community Food Bank. “But the truth is that we need volunteers every day of the year.”

And while the Thanksgiving holiday is a particularly popular time to volunteer at food banks around the country, SNAP payments are typically paid onto recipients’ EBT cards in the first ten days of the month — meaning that with the shutdown delays, many people’s urgency around accessing food will start early in November.

ACCFB has already seen a 12% increase since July in people using its food distribution sites, Gomez said. And now, the CalFresh delays “couldn’t come at a worse time,” she said. “This is November: It’s a time for family, for food, for togetherness.”

Many people on CalFresh are particularly relying on these funds to feed their families at the holidays, noted Gomez, “especially during the winter months when not only our food prices go up, but electricity bills go up.”

Be open to different volunteer roles …

Food banks — and the programs they distribute to — have a wide variety of volunteer roles to be filled, from warehouse roles like stocking shelves, packing boxes and cleaning facilities to “front of house” opportunities where volunteers work directly with members of the public.

Different organizations may have different needs. Cody Jang, senior associate director of community engagement at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, told KQED earlier this year that one of the organization’s biggest needs is for volunteers with a valid driver’s license and their own vehicle to deliver food door-to-door through the home-delivered grocery program.

At Berkeley Food Network, the most crucial volunteer role is that of greeter, executive director Andrew Crispin said: people who welcome clients, “letting them know what’s on the menu, letting them know that this is a safe space.”

… and volunteering at different places

Since the SF-Marin Food Bank itself is “much more of a warehouse” where “we get the food, we build a menu each week, and then we push it out to partners,” Jang also suggested would-be volunteers seek out opportunities at these smaller locations in their communities: “schools, community centers, senior centers, soup kitchens, all kinds of different places.”

Not only does donating volunteer hours to one of these smaller pantries help “with the chain of getting food to those in need,” your work there is more likely to impact your actual neighbors, Jang said.

Know that donating money has greater impact than donating food

‘We definitely need volunteers both at our distribution sites and at our warehouses, but also quite honestly, we need people’s financial support,” said Leslie Bacho, CEO of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.

Donating money rather than food gives food banks far more flexibility, as these nonprofits are able to negotiate special deals for the food they buy in bulk — at much better prices than you can access as a private customer at a store.

“We can really stretch people’s dollars far,” Bacho said. “And believe me, they are really needed in this moment.”

“For every dollar, we’re able to turn that into $2 of purchasing power,” ACCFB’s Gomez said.

“And especially at a time when CalFresh benefits are decreasing, we need to do everything that we can to secure additional funds to purchase nutritious food for our community.”

See if your employer will match your donation

Some companies will match whatever you donate to a food bank, so it’s worth inquiring with your employer. ACCFB’s donation page even allows you to type in your company’s name to see if they’ll match the amount you give.

Be aware of any guidelines for donating food

Food banks will typically welcome nonperishable, unopened food. And you’ll want to make sure your product can be accepted at the particular food bank you want to donate to.

For example, ACCFB has a list of foods “our community loves” to guide food donations, which include:

• Ready-to-eat meals, especially in easy-open cans or pouches
• Chilis, stews, ravioli and soups
• Chicken, tuna and salmon
• Snacks for children (like healthy lunch snacks, bars, and fruit or veggie pouches)
• Nonperishable fruit (in cups, bowls or cans)
• Peanut butter
• Cereal (boxes or single-serve bowls)
• Nutrition and protein bars

Items the food bank asks people not to donate:

• Soda, carbonated drinks, energy drinks or alcohol
• Items with major dents or damage
• Produce that’s overripe, moldy, wilted or extremely bruised
• Items that have been previously thawed
• Ice cream

Some food banks may also accept products needed by the community, like detergent, period supplies, diapers or other personal care items, and Feeding America suggests you contact your local organization directly to check.

Host a food drive to collect physical donations …

While food banks across the country paused their traditional food drives at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re once again an option for people wanting to support their local food bank with food donations.

ACCFB also welcomes “large-scale food drives” in which groups like schools and larger businesses commit to collecting over 400 lbs. of food, i.e., at least three completely full food drive barrels.

… or start a virtual food drive

ACCFB has a tool that allows supporters to host virtual food drives online, inviting donors to “shop” for the food bank’s most needed fresh items, like milk, eggs and produce, which can’t be collected in a typical food drive’s barrels.

“Thanks to our bulk purchasing power, the money you’d spend in a grocery store to fill just one food drive barrel is enough to fill 3–4 virtual barrels,” ACCFB’s website said.

This story contains reporting from KQED’s Francesca Fenzi.