Your wallet may not be the only thing that’s empty thanks to COVID-19, as your refrigerator may be looking pretty bare as well.
If there’s a food shortage in your house, don’t feel bad, as many families are going through the same thing after losing jobs and income. If you need evidence of this, turn on the news or look for any stories about food distribution sites. You’re likely to see lines of cars that are quite long.
While getting food stamps may seem like the best way to fight a food emergency, what happens if you’re hungry right now? What if you don’t have the time to fill out an application and wait to get approved for a government food assistance program? What’s your best option then?
The answer is to call the USDA National Hunger Hotline, as it was created to help connect people with food when times get tough. It’s a great option if you don’t know what to do to feed your loved ones. The hotline also takes care of any awkward feelings you may have about reaching out to friends, family, or neighbors for food assistance.
How to Get Help From the USDA National Hunger Hotline
It’s surprisingly easy to get help from this hotline. And since COVID-19 has caused so much economic devastation, you certainly won’t be the first person to call it. In other words, don’t feel ashamed about needing help. It’s quite common right now.
To contact the hotline and get emergency food assistance, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY. You can also call 1-877-8-HAMBRE if you need help in Spanish. Be sure to note the hotline’s operating hours, which are 7 am to 10 pm Monday through Friday.
STOP!
Do you need a financial reset? If you owe more than $10,000 here is a debt relief resource available to help you today.
While calling is the most direct way to get the food help you need now, you can also text the hotline 9779 with a food-related question. To ensure that you receive an automated response about food assistance resources in your area, include a keyword in your question such as “meals” or “food.”
Again, it’s essential not to be fearful about calling the hotline. Even if you’ve never been in this situation before, what’s most critical is that you get food on the table, so your family stays fed.
If you’re not a citizen, it does not matter. Nor does it matter why you require food. The hotline’s representatives won’t discriminate and are there to help. Since food resources may be limited, especially due to COVID-19, the sooner you call, the better.
Services Offered by the National Hunger Hotline
Since you probably need food assistance now and not later, a representative should give you immediate options, such as soup kitchens, food distribution sites, or helpful religious or community organizations in your area.
If food shortages are a recurring theme that you feel may extend past COVID-19, ask the representative about other options, such as:
- SNAP
- WIC
- Free school meals
- Summer food services
- Food assistance programs for seniors
There are a wide variety of food assistance programs out there, so you’ll likely find one to fit your needs now and into the future.