This is an ongoing crisis that charity alone cannot solve. That’s why the Food Depository’s policy team joined food banks across the country in calling for meaningful changes to federal programs to help meet the rising need for food assistance.
This important advocacy work paid off when Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture extended critical flexibilities to federal nutrition programs. Because of those changes, we were able to distribute more food per distribution to families in need.
Even before the pandemic, the Food Depository’s advocacy team worked hard to protect the federal safety net from misguided cuts. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s frontline defense against hunger. The Food Depository is part of Feeding America’s national network of food banks that believes in protecting SNAP, which lifts families out of poverty.
The advocacy team also led local outreach efforts on Census participation. Funding for social services is often tied to Census data, which is why it’s so important that everyone is counted, particularly in communities of color with inequitable access to food and other resources.
“To create a brighter future for the communities that we serve, we’re counting on the people that we serve to participate in the Census.”
Rebecca Sumner Burgos, community engagement coordinator at La Case Norte, one of the Food Depository
The Food Depository’s benefits outreach team received a tenfold increase in call volume at the height of the pandemic and connected people to needed resources.
The Food Depository’s benefits outreach team has also played an important role during the pandemic, connecting a growing number of people to SNAP benefits, Medicaid and other resources. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of people calling the benefits hotline has far exceeded pre-pandemic call volume.
Many of the callers were recently unemployed parents turning to the Food Depository for help.
We’re proud to serve them and we stand with them in these challenging times.
