Update: On Oct. 31, two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to continue SNAP benefits.
ASHEVILLE – As Nov. 1 nears, Asheville restaurants, grocery stores and nonprofit organizations are stepping up and pitching in to feed the community as federal government funding may come to a standstill for the food assistance program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
“Nearly 600,000 children in our state could be without food in a few days because USDA is playing an illegal game of shutdown politics,” North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said in an Oct. 28 statement.
Beginning Nov. 4, Sand Hill Kitchen will offer free bagged lunches to the public at the restaurant at 491 Sardis Road.
Sand Hill Kitchen will begin offering free lunch bags on Nov. 4 as community members face the SNAP benefits pause.
“There is a need in our community, and I believe there is power in our community. If we have the ability to help people, we’re going to do it,” Wade said.
Jamie Wade, owner of Sand Hill Kitchen, said the lunches are intended for students to eat at school for lunch or at home at any time, although adults in need are also welcome to them, without presenting a SNAP card.
“Just come in and ask. It takes courage to ask for food sometimes, and anybody who comes in here and asks for a bag of food can have it,” Wade said.
The lunch bags may include items such as a Sand Hill Kitchen sandwich, baked goods donated from local bakeries, chips and carrot sticks, apple sauce and a juice box.
Wade said that within 24 hours of announcing the lunch bag distribution on social media on Oct. 29, the restaurant received more than $4,000 in donations to fund the project.
Jamie Wade, owner of Sand Hill Kitchen in Asheville.
Wade, who is also the mother of a 20-year-old daughter, said that Sand Hill Kitchen has long provided outreach food assistance in the community, including regular donations of food to free downtown food refrigerators.
Daily, Sand Hill Kitchen accepts donations to support the refilling of the refrigerators. And the restaurant supplies meals to the nonprofit, Swannanoa Communities Together.
Amid Tropical Storm Helene, more than 350 burgers were distributed to the community for free.
“Restaurant owners are uniquely positioned to help in this food crisis,” Wade said.
Extending outreach in a time of crisis
Also, on Nov. 4, Chai Pani Restaurant Group, an Asheville-based company, will host Give Back Nights at its three Chai Pani locations in Asheville, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., during which 10% of sales will be donated to local nonprofits supporting food insecurity.
Charlotte Stack, chief operating officer of the Chai Pani Restaurant Group, told the Citizen Times in an email that serving communities through love and service is a fundamental for Chai Pani.
“We find ourselves in a deeply unfortunate moment where the most vulnerable among us are at risk ― especially our children and elderly,” Stack wrote. “We are grateful for the local organizations that already do so much to keep our communities fed and nourished.
Stack said that Chai Pani will continue to support the nonprofits through food and cash donations, fundraisers, and by staying in conversation with the community to learn about its needs and how to help.
BeLoved Asheville, a nonprofit that has long been essential in supporting the Asheville area, most recently during Helene recovery, has introduced a new program to help residents pay for food in response to the SNAP disruption. The EAT card is a gift card to a local store that the organization is distributing to families at local schools and senior residents.
Sand Hill Kitchen’s outreach services will extend to offering free lunch bags on Nov. 4, in response to the SNAP benefits pause beginning Nov. 1.
Sam Burleson, a pastor at Covenant Community Church, a United Methodist congregation that hosts the families on its property, told the Citizen Times that the ministry has set money aside to help the 20 families who live in The Village, a temporary camper community in Buncombe County for families displaced by Helene who receive SNAP benefits.
He said that the church planned to partner with other congregations to raise funds to purchase grocery store gift cards and food items for more local families in need.
“We want to make sure that the 29,000 residents of Buncombe County who will experience this gap are able to have the food that they need,” Burleson said.
Grocery stores face financial losses, give back
The ripple effect is expected to impact the local economy, particularly the grocery stores that accept SNAP and WIC, but won’t receive those payments from customers.
SNAP and WIC combined add about $13 million a month to Buncombe County’s food economy, David Sweat, the county’s health and human services director, said at an Oct. 30 press conference.
Food Lion pledges $1 million to food banks, amid the SNAP benefits pause caused by the government shutdown.
“We’re dispersing about $5 million in benefits,” Sweat said. “But those benefits create an additional dollar and 73 cents on average in economic activity in the county.”
On Oct. 31, Food Lion announced that its Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization operated by a volunteer board of directors comprised of Food Lion associates, will donate $1 million to food banks to address the increased food insecurity in response to the SNAP pause.
The company stated in a news release that, from Nov. 1-4, in its continued effort to reduce food insecurity across its 10-state operating footprint, a Food Bank Fund will be activated through the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation, allowing customers to donate to the Food Bank Fund at Food Lion checkout registers.
According to Food Lion, the Foundation has distributed nearly $23 million across Food Lion’s 10-state operating area since its inception in 2001.
From Nov. 5-Dec. 9, the Food Lion Feeds campaign will invite customers to help neighbors facing food insecurity by purchasing and donating a $6 Food Lion Feeds holiday food box. Food Lion stores will donate the boxes to local Feeding America partner food banks or feeding agencies in the communities the stores serve.
“At Food Lion, nourishing our neighbors is at the heart of everything we do,” Greg Finchum, president of Food Lion, said in a news release. “As more families face food insecurity, we recognize our deep responsibility to help reduce hunger and set our neighbors up for success in life. Being a good neighbor means more than providing groceries, it means ensuring everyone has access to fresh, affordable food and the support they need to thrive.”
Food outreach initiatives
For a list of food banks, visit the Asheville Citizen Times’ article, ‘Grocery costs are high, funding is low. Where to find free food in Western North Carolina.’
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Tips, comments, questions? Email [email protected] or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram. Sign up for AVL Bites and Brews, our weekly food and drink newsletter here.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville restaurants, grocers, others offer support amid SNAP crisis
