The recent failure to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown shone a spotlight on the issue of food insecurity in our community, state, and country. The outpouring of outrage and donations to local food assistance organizations was a welcome response.
There is an ongoing food insecurity crisis. Food prices continue to rise, as does the overall cost of living in Massachusetts. More troubling are the ongoing effects of the government spending bill passed last summer. That bill imposes new restrictions, limiting access to federal support through the SNAP program. There will be fewer benefits, for shorter periods and for fewer people in need.
Here in Belmont, the Belmont Food Collaborative, a nonprofit organization, provides food assistance to those in need in two important ways. We support food-insecure shoppers with matching dollars at the seasonal Farmers’ Market, and Belmont Helps provides year-round support for short-term crises in the form of prepaid grocery cards. We have provided $53,500 of food assistance through the Farmers’ Market and $10,000 through Belmont Helps so far this year.
In Belmont, 703 households (around 1,100 individuals) currently receive SNAP benefits. It is shocking to think that so many people in Belmont are struggling to put food on their tables. Food insecurity unfairly burdens the elderly, people with disabilities, and children. We are in the midst of our annual appeal for support to help these families. Please donate to the Belmont Food Collaborative and keep our neighbors from going hungry.
Suzanne Johannet, president, Belmont Food Collaborative