I don't understand articles like this. Why would they do the journalistic legwork to contact so many states agencies, put the number of confirmed no's in the headline, and then just... not share...
I don't understand articles like this. Why would they do the journalistic legwork to contact so many states agencies, put the number of confirmed no's in the headline, and then just... not share the list of states? Even if it's likely they're all a no and only 25 responded in time, that's not necessarily something every reader will know about.
It's like doing a radio announcement about local school closures and just saying the number that are closing.
The way this is worded implies that 25 states told Politico that they would cut off food aid off the record, but did not consent to have this be published in the article yet. Only 5 states did,...
Twenty-five states told POLITICO that they are issuing notices informing participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative — that they won’t receive checks next month. Those states include California, Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. Others didn’t respond to requests for comment in time for publication.
The way this is worded implies that 25 states told Politico that they would cut off food aid off the record, but did not consent to have this be published in the article yet. Only 5 states did, which are listed in the article.
In the end, journalism is as much about maintaining good relationships with your sources as anything else. Otherwise, you end up with no sources.
I'm really sitting here trying to find the words: at the core hunger is basically used as a political weapon in the USA, when after the sinking of USAID and China refusing to buy American soy...
I'm really sitting here trying to find the words: at the core hunger is basically used as a political weapon in the USA, when after the sinking of USAID and China refusing to buy American soy beans there should be so much food going around the opposite should basically be happening.
On one hand I want to say "I hope something snaps as a result" but at the same time I fear for the consequences. The fact that Hegseth and Trump made an art out of pissing off the military with the meeting of all the generals and admirals straight before the shutdown may cause it to lead to something I'd rather not see.
The pause in benefits would kick in just before the Thanksgiving holiday and add further strain on food banks and pantries during a typically busy season.
Yeah, and with the economic circumstances hitting the farmers in particular before the larger holiday season at the end of the year... I hope this won't get too ugly.
Grocery stores will also be hit hard, losing income and cutting hours for employees, leading to more food insecurity. My partner got his letter. As we install a new furnace on the 3rd and have had...
Grocery stores will also be hit hard, losing income and cutting hours for employees, leading to more food insecurity.
My partner got his letter. As we install a new furnace on the 3rd and have had multiple vet emergencies in the past month this hits harder than usual. His SNAP was not all we lived on by any means, but we'll be cutting our food budget significantly and in the end it won't really be healthy for either of us. For example, it really helps him have protein/meal drinks on hand for when he's in a lot of pain or having spasms and barely wants to eat. Instead he probably won't eat.
Sigh
And we knew this would happen, and we just got told we were overreacting
Twenty-five states told POLITICO that they are issuing notices informing participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative — that they won’t receive checks next month. Those states include California, Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. Others didn’t respond to requests for comment in time for publication.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service recently told every state that they’d need to hold off on distributing benefits until further notice, according to multiple state agencies.
...
Under SNAP, which serves more than 42 million people, families receive an average of $187.20 per month to pay for groceries. The pause in benefits would kick in just before the Thanksgiving holiday and add further strain on food banks and pantries during a typically busy season.
Even if lawmakers clinch a funding deal before the end of October, anti-hunger advocates and states expect a delay between the government reopening and state administrators being able to issue November’s benefits, after weeks of holding up the typical process. For example, Kansas’ Department for Children and Families told POLITICO that it would take at least three days to fully reboot the program.
You'd hope that at this moment California with its massive GDP would step up and fulfill SNAP payments for at least a few weeks. We need to show the country we take care of our people. When people...
Those states include California
You'd hope that at this moment California with its massive GDP would step up and fulfill SNAP payments for at least a few weeks. We need to show the country we take care of our people. When people think Democrat they often think of California, and they should also be reminded of how the state treats its residents.
How would you cover a few weeks? Just the people whose SNAP refreshes during that time? 50 percent for the month? It's not about the GDP it's whether there's a surplus to move money around with,...
How would you cover a few weeks? Just the people whose SNAP refreshes during that time? 50 percent for the month? It's not about the GDP it's whether there's a surplus to move money around with, especially if they're not promising reimbursement.
I get the wish, I just think it would be a tough call to choose the winners for November.
Does anyone have suggestions on where someone with a bit of extra time and money could help out those who are hurt the most by this? Not on a political level, but at a personal level that is...
Does anyone have suggestions on where someone with a bit of extra time and money could help out those who are hurt the most by this?
Not on a political level, but at a personal level that is likely more local. Are there some food pantries more reputable than others that would benefit from a donation of goods?
In general food pantries do better with donations of money rather than goods, but are also often in need of volunteers to serve meals or other tasks. Money and time are both appreciated, and in...
In general food pantries do better with donations of money rather than goods, but are also often in need of volunteers to serve meals or other tasks. Money and time are both appreciated, and in general any food pantry in your area that has been around a while will be a good place to donate. No one gets into the food pantry game to get ahead, and so any place that lasts has lasted for a good reason.
I haven’t had any income for a while, so I’ve found non monetary ways to help out. My county has a “grow a extra row” program that goes with free food gardening classes. Along with the seed bank...
I haven’t had any income for a while, so I’ve found non monetary ways to help out.
My county has a “grow a extra row” program that goes with free food gardening classes. Along with the seed bank and free compost program, my only real costs are time and water (summer is our dry season). They give out trees every year, including fruit trees, and have a very low cost native plant sale in the spring.
We have a gleaning program that I understand makes a big difference. If you have fruit or nut trees, volunteers will come harvest the whole tree for you. You keep some, the volunteers keep some, the rest goes to the food pantry. It always amazes me how much they get off a fruit tree in a few hours.
Our food pantry has canning workshops in the fall where they will also teach you to can and give out recipes. You can take home a jar or two, while the rest goes to the food pantry.
Edit: For folks with no yard, some areas offer free garden space. My area calls it a p-patch, I think allotment is another term. Folks in New York take over vacant lots, which makes neighborhoods look nicer on top of providing food. Urban food forests are gaining popularity, transforming parts or all of a park with food trees and understory food plants. If there isn’t one in your area, you could work with the city/county to start one.
I prefer pantries without a religious requirement - church attendance or prayer - before letting folks shop or getting a bag. But generally no, it's hyperlocal so it depends on your area, even...
I prefer pantries without a religious requirement - church attendance or prayer - before letting folks shop or getting a bag. But generally no, it's hyperlocal so it depends on your area, even with national churches like The Salvation Army. If you have local mini food pantries (boxes where items can be accessed by folks directly) donating to those is good but monetary donations matter the most. But if they're doing a food drive or if you reach out and ask about their needs then just making sure you don't donate a ton of "mix that requires a bunch of other things." Mac and cheese is great if they have milk for example. Or "weird canned food no one wants" too. One man's trash and all but I've definitely seen the same "beans in tomato paste" sit on a mini pantry for weeks, til I finally pulled it.
Some groups explicitly reach out to the homeless, others with families, etc. it's worth looking into your area's offerings. Food banks are generally warehouse locations that middleman large food donations to pantries (to spend money more efficiently and avoid food waste) so I recommend working with the pantry directly. At either they may need volunteers to unload or stock shelves or to make up bags of food depending on how they distribute.
Oh also, direct aid helps too. If you're doing a cookout or tailgate invite folks. If you see people struggling at the store, help. If you have neighbors struggling, help directly.
Oh also, direct aid helps too. If you're doing a cookout or tailgate invite folks. If you see people struggling at the store, help. If you have neighbors struggling, help directly.
There's a charity in my community that I donate to and think should be a model - Project Feed the Kids. Started during the COVID-19 lockdowns by a local restaurant, it's a "pull up and take what...
There's a charity in my community that I donate to and think should be a model - Project Feed the Kids. Started during the COVID-19 lockdowns by a local restaurant, it's a "pull up and take what you need" from coolers with prepared meals. No sermons, no judgments, no requirements, just food.
I'm fortunate that the company I work for offers two paid days off annually for volunteer work with registered charities (check and see if your workplace does this, or offers donation-matching), so I've already got a couple of food packing stints with PFTK planned around the holidays. More if the SNAP cuts don't resolve quickly...
It's a terrible workaround for a collapsing social safety net that wasn't all that safe to begin with, but basic humanity demands we don't wait for people to starve before the problems are fixed.
That's awesome! I don't believe we have a "prepared meals" style pantry. We have drive thru and walk in pantries and several soup kitchen style places that serve hot meals. Those tend to be the...
That's awesome! I don't believe we have a "prepared meals" style pantry.
We have drive thru and walk in pantries and several soup kitchen style places that serve hot meals. Those tend to be the ones that have the most religious expectations but some ask you "work" X number of ours with the pantry or affiliated shelter to get food there too. But a pantry in a nearby town just reported bare shelves and I don't see that getting better.
And yes donation matching is great! (Public university doesn't do it though) It's the end of the season but folks wanting to volunteer might want to do so with a pantry garden - you often get some yourself if you want, but it's a different kind of labor that some people may enjoy more and you're making the food!
My local community college has run food drives and pantries before, too. It may be worth looking into organizations like that which reach a wider audience while remaining secular.
My local community college has run food drives and pantries before, too. It may be worth looking into organizations like that which reach a wider audience while remaining secular.
I agree! We have a number of resources at our school or nearby. But ultimately food is more important than my feelings on faith (which are complicated rather than anti). So if all someone has...
I agree! We have a number of resources at our school or nearby.
But ultimately food is more important than my feelings on faith (which are complicated rather than anti). So if all someone has nearby is a church based service, volunteering and donating is still good. Some are basically just located in churches funded by them but not doing anything other than showing faith through works, others expect things like church attendance or prayer from the recipients.
I don't want to discourage people from supporting the only shelters or pantries in their area depending on what's around them. But you can look for ones that you feel comfortable supporting
I don't understand articles like this. Why would they do the journalistic legwork to contact so many states agencies, put the number of confirmed no's in the headline, and then just... not share the list of states? Even if it's likely they're all a no and only 25 responded in time, that's not necessarily something every reader will know about.
It's like doing a radio announcement about local school closures and just saying the number that are closing.
The way this is worded implies that 25 states told Politico that they would cut off food aid off the record, but did not consent to have this be published in the article yet. Only 5 states did, which are listed in the article.
In the end, journalism is as much about maintaining good relationships with your sources as anything else. Otherwise, you end up with no sources.
I'm really sitting here trying to find the words: at the core hunger is basically used as a political weapon in the USA, when after the sinking of USAID and China refusing to buy American soy beans there should be so much food going around the opposite should basically be happening.
On one hand I want to say "I hope something snaps as a result" but at the same time I fear for the consequences. The fact that Hegseth and Trump made an art out of pissing off the military with the meeting of all the generals and admirals straight before the shutdown may cause it to lead to something I'd rather not see.
Yeah, and with the economic circumstances hitting the farmers in particular before the larger holiday season at the end of the year... I hope this won't get too ugly.
We'll have to see I guess. :\
Grocery stores will also be hit hard, losing income and cutting hours for employees, leading to more food insecurity.
My partner got his letter. As we install a new furnace on the 3rd and have had multiple vet emergencies in the past month this hits harder than usual. His SNAP was not all we lived on by any means, but we'll be cutting our food budget significantly and in the end it won't really be healthy for either of us. For example, it really helps him have protein/meal drinks on hand for when he's in a lot of pain or having spasms and barely wants to eat. Instead he probably won't eat.
Sigh
And we knew this would happen, and we just got told we were overreacting
From the article:
...
You'd hope that at this moment California with its massive GDP would step up and fulfill SNAP payments for at least a few weeks. We need to show the country we take care of our people. When people think Democrat they often think of California, and they should also be reminded of how the state treats its residents.
How would you cover a few weeks? Just the people whose SNAP refreshes during that time? 50 percent for the month? It's not about the GDP it's whether there's a surplus to move money around with, especially if they're not promising reimbursement.
I get the wish, I just think it would be a tough call to choose the winners for November.
Does anyone have suggestions on where someone with a bit of extra time and money could help out those who are hurt the most by this?
Not on a political level, but at a personal level that is likely more local. Are there some food pantries more reputable than others that would benefit from a donation of goods?
In general food pantries do better with donations of money rather than goods, but are also often in need of volunteers to serve meals or other tasks. Money and time are both appreciated, and in general any food pantry in your area that has been around a while will be a good place to donate. No one gets into the food pantry game to get ahead, and so any place that lasts has lasted for a good reason.
I haven’t had any income for a while, so I’ve found non monetary ways to help out.
My county has a “grow a extra row” program that goes with free food gardening classes. Along with the seed bank and free compost program, my only real costs are time and water (summer is our dry season). They give out trees every year, including fruit trees, and have a very low cost native plant sale in the spring.
We have a gleaning program that I understand makes a big difference. If you have fruit or nut trees, volunteers will come harvest the whole tree for you. You keep some, the volunteers keep some, the rest goes to the food pantry. It always amazes me how much they get off a fruit tree in a few hours.
Our food pantry has canning workshops in the fall where they will also teach you to can and give out recipes. You can take home a jar or two, while the rest goes to the food pantry.
My initial source for all this information was my local agricultural extension office.
Edit: For folks with no yard, some areas offer free garden space. My area calls it a p-patch, I think allotment is another term. Folks in New York take over vacant lots, which makes neighborhoods look nicer on top of providing food. Urban food forests are gaining popularity, transforming parts or all of a park with food trees and understory food plants. If there isn’t one in your area, you could work with the city/county to start one.
I prefer pantries without a religious requirement - church attendance or prayer - before letting folks shop or getting a bag. But generally no, it's hyperlocal so it depends on your area, even with national churches like The Salvation Army. If you have local mini food pantries (boxes where items can be accessed by folks directly) donating to those is good but monetary donations matter the most. But if they're doing a food drive or if you reach out and ask about their needs then just making sure you don't donate a ton of "mix that requires a bunch of other things." Mac and cheese is great if they have milk for example. Or "weird canned food no one wants" too. One man's trash and all but I've definitely seen the same "beans in tomato paste" sit on a mini pantry for weeks, til I finally pulled it.
Some groups explicitly reach out to the homeless, others with families, etc. it's worth looking into your area's offerings. Food banks are generally warehouse locations that middleman large food donations to pantries (to spend money more efficiently and avoid food waste) so I recommend working with the pantry directly. At either they may need volunteers to unload or stock shelves or to make up bags of food depending on how they distribute.
Oh also, direct aid helps too. If you're doing a cookout or tailgate invite folks. If you see people struggling at the store, help. If you have neighbors struggling, help directly.
There's a charity in my community that I donate to and think should be a model - Project Feed the Kids. Started during the COVID-19 lockdowns by a local restaurant, it's a "pull up and take what you need" from coolers with prepared meals. No sermons, no judgments, no requirements, just food.
I'm fortunate that the company I work for offers two paid days off annually for volunteer work with registered charities (check and see if your workplace does this, or offers donation-matching), so I've already got a couple of food packing stints with PFTK planned around the holidays. More if the SNAP cuts don't resolve quickly...
It's a terrible workaround for a collapsing social safety net that wasn't all that safe to begin with, but basic humanity demands we don't wait for people to starve before the problems are fixed.
That's awesome! I don't believe we have a "prepared meals" style pantry.
We have drive thru and walk in pantries and several soup kitchen style places that serve hot meals. Those tend to be the ones that have the most religious expectations but some ask you "work" X number of ours with the pantry or affiliated shelter to get food there too. But a pantry in a nearby town just reported bare shelves and I don't see that getting better.
And yes donation matching is great! (Public university doesn't do it though) It's the end of the season but folks wanting to volunteer might want to do so with a pantry garden - you often get some yourself if you want, but it's a different kind of labor that some people may enjoy more and you're making the food!
My local community college has run food drives and pantries before, too. It may be worth looking into organizations like that which reach a wider audience while remaining secular.
I agree! We have a number of resources at our school or nearby.
But ultimately food is more important than my feelings on faith (which are complicated rather than anti). So if all someone has nearby is a church based service, volunteering and donating is still good. Some are basically just located in churches funded by them but not doing anything other than showing faith through works, others expect things like church attendance or prayer from the recipients.
I don't want to discourage people from supporting the only shelters or pantries in their area depending on what's around them. But you can look for ones that you feel comfortable supporting