The Food Bank in Statesboro, Feed the Boro, Christian Social Ministries and other local service agencies are preparing for funding to end on Saturday for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, due to the ongoing government shutdown.
According to statistics from the Food Bank, 6,158 of Bulloch County’s 32,074 households – 19.2% – receive SNAP. It is estimated nearly 1.4 million Georgians enrolled in the program will go without benefits starting Nov. 1, and approximately 42 million individuals are enrolled in SNAP programs across the country.
"When a family loses SNAP benefits (for whatever reason), their household budget collapses," said Sheila Stewart-Leach, executive director of The Food Bank, Inc. in Statesboro "We know when families experience a budget crisis, local food banks become the front line – and requests for assistance increase significantly."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1. The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep SNAP flowing into November. That program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.
“We anticipate that the need and the demand for food will go up,” said Don Poe, one of the organizers of Feed the Boro, which operates monthly food distributions that help about 1,000 local families each month. “We're making preparations the best that we can to deal with a greater need.
“I'm talking with Second Harvest to see what might be available, but so is everyone else.”
The Food Bank has been operating at high capacity for the past 12 months, Stewart-Leach said, serving between 500–550 unique families per week.
She said The Food Bank is requesting more meal boxes. Also, beginning Monday, Nov. 3, the Food Bank will offer extended pick-up hours at its Miller St. location, off Northside Drive, – 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
Additionally, Stewart-Leach said the facility will increase the number of appointments every hour, from 24 families per hour to 32 families
"These changes will allow us to help up to 250 families per day," she said.
Poe said the next distribution is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15 at Statesboro High, which will mark the five-year anniversary since Feed the Boro began its monthly program. Poe estimates that about 3.5 million meals have been distributed to local families in that time.
Each box given out at the distribution contains enough food to provide two nutritious meals a day for a family of four for seven days.
For the Nov. 15 distribution, Poe said Feed the Boro purchased about 300 turkeys with the assistance of program partner Food Lion. He said people who line up that morning will draw a piece of paper that will indicate they either can pick up a turkey or receive a gift certificate from Food Lion.
“We know there are possibly some tough times ahead for some folks in our communities,” Poe said. “We will do our best to help as many people as we can.”
The Food Bank also expects to see more traffic from surrounding counties in families seeking additional food sources with SNAP funding not available. Almost 27% of households in Emanual County receive SNAP, 23% in Candler County and 19% in Jenkins County.
"We are committed to scaling up," Stewart-Leach said. "This means our staff and volunteers are working additional time and, of course, we are purchasing additional food to prepare for an influx of new and returning clients.
"Our clients include the most vulnerable members of our community. Senior citizens and young children vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition. Parents and grandparents stretching limited resources. And now, first-time visitors who have never needed emergency assistance before because they used SNAP for their grocery expenses."
How to help
Feed the Boro is an all-volunteer organization that relies on donations to purchase food for distribution at each food drop. Donations are accepted on the agency’s website – feedtheboro.com. Also, their Feed the Boro Facebook page has links to make donations and checks may be mailed to: Feed the Boro, P.O. Box 2736, Statesboro, GA 30459.
Poe said any donation is appreciated and even a $5 gift can feed a family of four for a week.
Non-perishable food items may be dropped off at The Food Bank – 506 Miller Street, at the intersection of Miller and Northside Drive, West – during regular operating hours.
Also, cash donations can go a long way because of the agency’s partnership with Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, “which allows us to purchase groceries at significantly reduced rates – stretching donor dollars much further than at a traditional grocery store." Stewart-Leach said.
The Food Bank accepts financial donations on its website. Go to www.statesborofoodbank.org and click on the Donate Now button to give online via GiveButter.
Checks may be mailed to: The Food Bank, Inc., P.O. Box 543, Statesboro, GA 30459.