Friends, my heart is heavy writing this, and I know yours are too..
Starting November 1, thousands of families across North Carolina may lose their SNAP benefits, what most of us know as food stamps. That means no help with groceries. No food assistance. Just… gone. Right before the holidays.
This is happening because of the federal government shutdown that began October 1. Unless our leaders act fast, North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services has been told to pause all SNAP disbursements for November. That’s $230 million in food support, vanished overnight.
It’s not just a number. It’s a mom skipping dinner so her kids can eat. It’s a college student trying to study on an empty stomach. It’s a grandma deciding between medicine and milk.
In Wake County alone, over 80,000 of our neighbors rely on SNAP. Many of them already come to A Place at the Table. And now, even more will walk through our doors, some for the first time, because they have nowhere else to turn.
We are bracing for what’s coming. More meals. More coffee. More quiet asks like, “Can I volunteer today instead of paying?” More tired eyes. More people needing to feel like they belong.
So what does this mean for our community?
We’ll see the impact immediately. We always do. Because when SNAP disappears, folks turn to places like Table, to food banks, to pantries, to soup kitchens. And so we at Table turn to you.
This is a moment for the community to come together. We always need each other, but especially right now. This is a moment for the community to come together.
If you’re wondering how to help, here’s what we need, not just at Table, but across the whole nonprofit ecosystem of food support:
- Support Table
- Give: Your donation helps us be a place for so many. Every dollar helps us keep saying yes. Truly, thank you!
- Volunteer: We’ll need more hands to build community with us. Email awesome Kay to get involved.
- Spread the Word: Let folks know Table is here, no matter what.
- Support Incredible Local Food Organizations
- Donate to places like The Food Bank of CENC, Ship Outreach, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, and so many more locally. If you are not local, take a look at what is in your community. They’ll all be slammed and they need us.
- Ask your school, church, or workplace how they’re preparing and how you can help.
- Offer your time: These places need volunteers now more than ever.
- Check On Your People
Text your friend. Call your neighbor (maybe send a meal or a grocery store gift card)…Ask your coworker, “Do you have what you need right now?” It is really time to look out for each other.
- Call Your Representatives
Tell them to restore SNAP funding. Tell them our hungry friends can’t wait. They need to know how this affects us all.
This is hard. Really hard. And it’s only going to get harder.
But here’s the thing: goodness still shows up. It shows up in a meal served with love. In a stranger who pays it forward. In a diner who leaves full and says, “Thank you for seeing me.” It shows up when you donate canned goods to your local food pantry, volunteer at one of our awesome nonprofits, or send money to your neighbor.
And what we can tell you is that our team will keep showing up. Thank you for making this possible for us every day.
With so much gratitude,
The Table team