Combat Hunger By Turning To These Food Assistance Sources

If you never needed food assistance before because you were always able to keep your kitchen stocked, you may be wondering where to look once supplies become scarce. Could you call up family for some extra cash to buy groceries? Sure. What about heading over to your neighbor’s house to see if they can help with your emergency? That could work too.
Unfortunately, those are very temporary fixes, and food is a permanent need. What are better ways to find food assistance besides friends, family, and neighbors? Have a look at this list.

SNAP Food Stamps

Even if you never used them, you probably have an idea of what food stamps are and how they work. They aren’t really “stamps” anymore, however, as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides most beneficiaries with debit-like cards that can be swiped at participating grocery stores.
The good thing about food stamps is the stability they can provide. By knowing you have a certain amount per month to buy groceries with, you can feel better about your family’s nutrition.
To learn more about SNAP and how food stamps work, visit the program’s official site.

WIC Food Assistance

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, is another popular food assistance program. It allows you to buy nutritional essentials at the store that are especially helpful for pregnant women, newborns, and very young children.
Like SNAP, WIC is ideal since it offers stability in the way of food. Once you apply for WIC and get approved, you can get peace of mind knowing you’ll have some of your nutritional needs met.

Local Help

SNAP and WIC are great resources for food assistance, but you may not have to go far to find that help. Many cities have food drives, distribution sites, pantries, and more that can give you temporary aid with stocking your kitchen.
There are several ways to find such nutritional help nearby. First, you can do an Internet search for food drives in your city. You can do the same for religious and community organizations in your area that often play a huge role in keeping families fed.
For more direct help, dial 211 on your phone. Doing so will put you in touch with an operator that will let you know which food assistance options are in your area.
After you dial 211, you can take things a step further by dialing 866-3-HUNGRY. It’s the number for the National Hunger Hotline, and it can also give your resources to help combat hunger in the form of soup kitchens, food drives, local organizations, and more. Be sure to dial the hotline on Monday through Friday between 7 am and 10 pm to get assistance.

Lastly, turn to your local news for information on food distribution sites. They will often broadcast new info via TV, the newspaper, or their website/Facebook page.