Dear Friends,
Many of you have reached out to Friends of Refugees concerned about the suspension of SNAP (food assistance that many refugees use to purchase food) due to the government shutdown. We are grateful for your concern and continued support in a challenging time for many. Here is the situation:
- Many people–not just refugees–lost access to their SNAP benefits on November 1st. For those not familiar with how SNAP works, the monthly allotment is loaded onto an EBT card (akin to a debit card). For many people, the EBT cards stopped working on November 1st.
- While the federal government has agreed to release 50% of the usual November monthly SNAP allotment, it has also noted that each state would need to recode its system to release 50% of the allotment which it estimates could take “weeks or months in some states.”
What does this mean, practically speaking? That, right now, the most vulnerable people across our country are struggling to buy food to feed their families. With that in mind, Friends of Refugees and other nonprofits are looking for ways to step in and provide emergency food assistance for the families we work with in our programs, almost all of whom are receiving SNAP benefits.
How can you help?
- Greatest Impact Across the City: Give to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, whose work undergirds countless food pantries and food organizations around the Metro area.
- For Friends of Refugees families specifically: We are planning to purchase culturally appropriate food and supplies for the 250+ families in our program, in partnership with a local food nonprofit who can source the food at a greatly reduced cost. If you would like to sponsor one of these emergency boxes, donate $35 here, and write “Food” in the memo line. Every dollar makes a difference!
We’re grateful for you, friends, and all the ways you’ve reached out to us. Thanks for continuing to stand alongside all of our neighbors during this challenging time.
Kendra Jeffreys
Executive Director