Arizonans step up to fill the SNAP-gap by donating food to CASS shelter

PHOENIX - Arizonans are stepping up to fill the SNAP-gap by donating money, food, and time to help people on the verge of losing food stamps, including Sunnyslope area, which is home to many low-income residents.

The backstory:

Phoenix Councilmember Debra Stark put out the word on October 27 and the donations started pouring in. 

By Oct. 31, several truckloads of food were delivered to the Vista Colina Family Shelter near 11th Avenue and Mountain View Road. Anything left over will go to Saint Mary's Food Bank.

What they're saying:

"But everything that I’m seeing that’s going around, you know, on the news, and people are not gonna be getting their benefits, they're gonna be hungry.. and for me to help, it just warms my heart," said Angel, a food donor.

Another donor, Brian, added, "But I’m gonna give them all the soup that I wanna eat, and I’m gonna give everybody the nice like pancake mix that I just bought. I feel like people should have nice things."

"All residents.. so they're from different block watches, especially in District 3, in the Sunnyslope area.. Jon Jacobs, Moon Valley.. they all came to the call of action to just say how can we support our neighbors, our friends, our community," said an event attendee.

>>SNAP benefits gone? How to get free or discounted groceries

"It absolutely helps, but secondly, we need to be advocating to our legislators to say if we want to reform SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] so be it, but we can’t do it overnight," said Nate Smith, who sees the need first hand as CEO of CASS [Central Arizona Shelter Services], which runs several shelters across the Valley.

"They are choosing between: will I save my money so that I can get myself into a unit and get out of the emergency shelter here, or am I going to now go buy food."

And Stark made this happen.

"Because I knew Sunnyslope would turn out. They really do care about their community, and they’re always here when I ask, they come.

Sunnyslope helping Sunnyslope, one donation at a time.

There are many different ways to donate during these difficult times. The City of Phoenix has a website to get you where you need to go.

Food assistance and community resources

• https://phoenix.gov/foodhelp
• https://cassaz.donorsupport.co/page/FUNUFQYATHY
• https://des.az.gov/services/basic-needs/food-assistance

Map of the Sunnyslope area

SNAP funding ruling

One day before SNAP benefits run out for 42 million people across the country, two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must continue replenishing SNAP food aid benefits during the government shutdown. 

>>Trump must replenish SNAP food aid benefits, judges rule: What we know

If the contingency fund cannot fully fund the program in November, then the government must find other funding resources. The USDA was given until Nov. 3 to let the court know whether that could happen.

It's still not clear how quickly the debit cards will be reloaded, and there is no comment from the White House on the ruling, although an appeal is likely.

Attorney Generals from 25 states and the District of Columbia challenged the plan to pause the program. Arizona was one of those states.

Statement from the Arizona Attorney General's office

In the lawsuit I filed to protect SNAP for 900,000 Arizonans — including 1 in 4 Arizona kids— the court ruled the Trump administration acted illegally by trying to cut off access to food benefits even though there are emergency funds available," said Attorney General Mayes. 

‘USDA must come up with a plan to pay benefits by Monday. We’ll keep fighting to protect Arizonans.’

The order comes after Attorney General Mayes joined a coalition of 26 states in suing the Trump Administration for suspending SNAP benefits in a manner that is both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. Today’s order makes clear that USDA must use contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits. The federal Administration has indicated that the funds will not be enough to cover the cost of November SNAP for all 50 states, and the order puts the ball in the federal government’s court. The federal government must tell the Court by Monday, November 3, whether it will utilize other funding sources beyond the SNAP contingency fund to ensure that 42 million Americans do not risk going hungry in November.

• In Arizona, 12% of the state’s population receives SNAP benefits, including 30,000 Arizona veterans.
• That means nearly 900,000 Arizonans rely on SNAP benefits to help feed themselves and their families.
• Most of these families would be out around $360, the average amount Arizona households using SNAP benefits were able to spend on groceries that month.
• 1 in 4 children in Arizona rely on SNAP benefits– in fact 40% of SNAP funding in Arizona goes to feeding children.
• For every meal that a food pantry provides, SNAP provides 9.
• The economy is going to take a big hit without SNAP funding as well. Data has shown that in a weak economy, $1 of SNAP benefits increases economic activity and growth by $1.5 to $1.8.
• Over 4,600 Arizona retailers are approved to accept EBT cards and could lose revenue.

This lawsuit was brought with the assistance of the Arizona Department of Economic Security."

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