Food organizations gear up to meet increased needs after SNAP benefits end
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Now that the pandemic-era boost in SNAP benefits has ended, community food organizations are working in overdrive to make sure everyone gets fed. The Nicetown community is coming together to help their own as many families fear the reduction in SNAP benefits.
"It's just a big help to the community," Minerva Washington said.
For the last 3 years, the TCRC Community Healing Center has set up shop throughout Philadelphia to distribute food.
"They have wonderful items, healthy items that we need," Washington said.
"We're here rain, snow, sleet or shine," TCRC found Jondhi Harrell said. "We have never missed a delivery date in three years."
They host three distributions in different neighborhoods every week. He says they're serving 15,000 people every month. The organization was founded in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. At the time Harrell was working with people returning from prison.
"The city said we were a nonessential business," Harrell said. "So I said to myself, how do we become essential? And Share Foods gave me an opportunity to do food distributions and we did so well they offered me a food pantry and we never looked back."
Harrell and his crew get there at about 6 a.m. and by the time they open at 9 a.m. he says the line is around the block and with these benefits expiring he says he expects the situation to get even worse.
"Our lines are going to keep growing and growing and growing," Harrell said.
Meanwhile, in South Philly, there are no lines. But a community refrigerator on 15th Street between Moore and Morris Streets is working in overdrive.
"We operate under the idea of take what you need, and leave what you can," Victoria Jayne said.
The South Philadelphia Community Fridge also popped up in the pandemic when Philly was frozen in time but the needs of the community never stopped. Jayne is part of their leadership team. Anyone can stop by and pick up what they need and in turn, it encourages people to help when they can. Jayne says it's needed more than ever now that the pandemic-era SNAP benefits are expiring.
"We're still in an emergency today, especially with inflation," Jayne said. "Our community fridge organization is spending more now than we ever have in our history to keep these fridges stocked."
A need neither organization sees ending anytime soon.
"Some people really need it and the government is cutting benefits constantly," Washington said.
