To End Hunger, Policy & Charity Must Go Hand in Hand
By Triada Stampas, President and CEO, Fulfill
There’s a saying among food bank leaders: You can’t “food bank” your way out of hunger. You might wonder why, as the President & CEO of Fulfill, the food bank serving Monmouth and Ocean Counties, I’m sharing this message. Recent events compel me to speak up because we need your help.
In the last few days of 2024, Congress passed legislation to keep the federal government operating, but failed to renew protection for victims whose SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps) benefits are stolen electronically. Imagine filling your grocery cart to only discover at checkout that you have no money for food. New Jersey residents are being targeted at alarming rates. From July 2023 to September 2024, the state received nearly 19,000 reports of stolen benefits, totaling over $9.2 million. Without congressional action, the federal government cannot replace stolen benefits, leaving victims without grocery money for up to a month.
Meanwhile, facing the threat of closure, St. Brigid’s food pantry in Long Branch launched a GoFundMe campaign because the church can no longer sustain operations. Our pantry network is now serving twice as many people as before the pandemic. St. Brigid’s is the largest food pantry in one of Monmouth County’s highest-need communities. If it closes, residents will turn to smaller nearby pantries for help, straining already limited resources.
Like St. Brigid’s, most food pantries are volunteer-run operations serving hundreds – if not thousands – of people each month on shoestring budgets. They are often the last resort for neighbors facing hunger when wallets are empty, benefits are depleted and support from friends and family is exhausted. What they achieve is remarkable, but their stability can be precarious. The St. Brigid’s situation highlights just how fragile this under-resourced network can be.
What’s the connection? When policymakers debate government spending on programs like SNAP, some point to the charitable food distribution network as a kind of failsafe: There are so many generous and kind people, they reason, who give voluntarily to ensure no one goes hungry. If SNAP benefits are cut or stolen, charity, they might say, can fill the gap.
This reasoning overlooks what food bankers know: food insecurity is a much larger problem than charity alone can solve. For perspective, for every meal a food bank distributes, SNAP currently provides nine. Our network is indeed generous, kind and endlessly resourceful. But that abundance of heart cannot replace the resources that sound anti-hunger policy puts in the hands of those who need it. If we are the last line of defense against hunger, programs like SNAP are the first. To achieve food security, we need them to work well.
Here’s how you can help: first, be an advocate. This year, Congress must pass a new budget by March and by September, a new Farm Bill, which sets policy and funding for SNAP, emergency food, and other anti-hunger programs. SNAP is already in the crosshairs: just last week, a leaked list from the House Budget Committee proposed cuts of 20% or more. Such cuts would force many of our neighbors to go hungry. Our elected representatives need to hear from us that they are unacceptable.
In the meantime, we must join together to strengthen the charitable food assistance network. Even modest donations help food pantries and soup kitchens continue serving with dignity and compassion. More than a decade ago, Fulfill began providing capacity grants to local pantries and kitchens to help them recover from Super Storm Sandy. Today, we issue hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants annually to ensure our network can meet the growing need, in addition to supplying food for over 14 million meals per year. If you have the means, please support your local food pantry or soup kitchen and Fulfill’s efforts to build a resilient network.
This year, the stakes are high for our neighbors facing hunger. Your voice and support are essential for both sound policy and strong charitable efforts. For more information or to find a food pantry or soup kitchen near you, visit fulfillnj.org.