Join a mutual aid group or stock a community fridge

Mutual aid refers to reciprocal support networks of neighbors who promptly meet each other’s most pressing needs when existing systems fail to make them whole. They emphasize “solidarity” with each other as opposed to “charity” for another beneficiary.

The groups have grown in popularity since the coronavirus pandemic exposed gaps in the social safety net. You can search for ones near you at https://www.mutualaidhub.org/ or find their pages on social media sites such as Instagram.

This localized form of support can be especially helpful for marginalized folks — such as people with disabilities or medically fragile children — who are physically unable to line up at food distribution sites.

The Free Formula Exchange is an example of a nationwide mutual aid network. The free online tool connects families who need baby formula with others donating theirs.

Your neighborhood might also have what’s known as a community fridge. These are fridges, perhaps powered by a participating local business, where neighbors place food for anyone to grab. Search for one at https://freedge.org/ or ChangeX.

“You don’t need to prove that you are poor to access those benefits,” said Freedge co-founder Ernst Bertone Oehninger. “The fridge doesn’t ask you any question. You can just go and help yourself with the food that’s there.”

The benefit is that they are centrally located and accessible. Many community fridges run 24/7. Donation guidelines vary and often depend on the jurisdiction’s food code.

Oehninger can’t promise that Freedge’s database is completely up-to-date or an exhaustive list of every location out there. They recommend checking Instagram, where many community fridges post their current needs.

Give directly to those in need

GiveDirectly is delivering one-time $50 cash transfers to households with children that receive the maximum SNAP allotment.

The nonprofit is partnering with Propel, an app that helps millions manage their benefits, to send funds on the same day that recipients lose out on their usual SNAP deposit. The effort is aimed at immediately empowering families to meet their individual needs with no strings attached and without having to wait in long lines.

The public can donate to the emergency response at GiveDirectly’s website. Propel already committed $1 million and GiveDirectly says the “more we can raise, the more days we can cover families who missed their SNAP payments.”

GoFundMe

The for-profit crowdfunding platform has put together a centralized Feeding Communities Hub where users can find verified fundraisers and nonprofits seeking help affording groceries, stocking pantries, distributing meals or funding mobile food banks.

GoFundMe.org’s Essentials Fund also provides cash grants to those struggling to afford everyday necessities. The independent nonprofit is committing at least $350,000 from October through December to help get people back on their feet.

The biggest help? Experts say replenishing SNAP

Very little safety net is left once you take away SNAP.

It’s not possible for a nonprofit network to fully fill the gap in food insecurity, according to Christopher Wimer, the co-director of Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy. Consider that Feeding America says food pantries provide about 1 meal to every 9 provided by SNAP.

“The best thing would be a robust SNAP program that’s not being turned on and turned off because of the shutdown,” Wimer said.

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