SNAP Freeze Response Plan
The community responds to support folks as federal food assistance disappears.
Kearsarge Food Hub’s SNAP Freeze Emergency Response
Starting November 1st, federal food assistance programs like SNAP and WIC that help over 42 million Americans afford to buy food will be frozen due to the government shutdown.
This means that millions of people across the country are facing unprecedented levels of food insecurity. These are our children, elderly, folks living with disabilities, and families struggling to make ends meet, and they are caught in the political crosshairs of the government shutdown.
There is tremendous strain on our food banks, food pantries, and other food access sites to respond and help folks access the food they need.
The current contingency plan for the state of New Hampshire is to send $2 million to the NH Food bank and to support food pantries, which is only a fraction of the $12 million dollars that SNAP and WIC costs to support over 75,000 residents here in New Hampshire. That means there will be a huge gap in services.
This is how we’re meeting the moment: Kearsarge Food Hub, home of Sweet Beet, is responding to meet community need in the following ways:
Offer 50% off SNAP-eligible products at Sweet Beet Market for SNAP recipients. Present your EBT card for this discount on purchases up to $100.
Increase our FREEdge fills by 50% with special focus on prepared meals.
Increase by 25% our donations of fresh, local produce to our food pantry partners.
Disseminate a new Community FREEdge Manual to help others launch free food pantries (download below!)
As a nonprofit food hub that focuses on moving food throughout our community, we feel a responsibility to respond to the greatest extent possible to meet the tremendous need created from this freeze in SNAP benefits.
Though this is far from solving the problem of such a catastrophic and abrupt loss of food assistance that supports over 75,000 New Hampshire residents, this is one small effort to get food out when it's needed most.
Unique to our food donations program and sourcing here at the Kearsarge Food Hub and Sweet Beet is the emphasis on purchasing from our local farmers to meet the needs of our neighbors. Entire communities suffer from the loss of SNAP with the lost revenue of those dollars being spent in our local economy. This includes increased financial strain on our farmers who rely on that revenue; farmers who already face extreme pressures from climate change, a drastic loss of resources and funding, and the impact of tariffs and the rising cost of inputs.
The majority of the food we send through donations to pantries and into the community FREEdge is purchased directly from our local farmers, keeping dollars in our local economy when we’re looking at significant losses from the SNAP. freeze and longer term reduction of SNAP benefits.
As always, these efforts are supported by a deeply committed community of supporters, from shoppers at Sweet Beet to donors to the Kearsarge Food Hub. It is because of this strong foundation of care that we are able to respond in this way. This is local resilience in action; we will take care of each other.
There are many other incredible efforts popping up from businesses, organizations, and individuals to provide support in this unprecedented time. Stay tuned for more information on other area resources!
Download the guide to starting your own FREEdge
An inside look at Kearsarge Food Hub’s Community FREEdge