Discount for Neighbors in Need
Dear Co-op Members,
As you may have heard, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has not yet been funded for November. This means that nearly 42 million people and families across the country will lose access to essential food assistance. Currently at the Co-op, we have about 3,000 active SNAP customers, so the impact on our own community will be significant.
If you’re not familiar with SNAP, it’s the largest federal nutrition assistance program in the United States. It provides monthly funds to lower-income individuals and families to help them buy groceries. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and implemented by each state.
SNAP benefits are distributed through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which works like a debit card and can be used at co-ops, farmers markets, and most grocery stores. Typically, those cards are loaded with funds at the start of each month, when recipients receive, on average, $187 per person. Even under normal circumstances, SNAP funds often run low by week three, so the first of the month is when families count on their next refill.
It’s unacceptable that our government would allow millions of people to go hungry. I’ll admit, I feel a bit like Peter Finch in “Network”: “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”
One of our core values at the Co-op is increasing access to healthy food, and we take that value to heart. So, during this time of deep food insecurity for our community, we have decided to create a program called Lend a Hand. Beginning November 1, if you or your family are struggling to pay for food, ask your cashier for the “Lend a Hand” discount, and receive 25% off your purchase.*
This discount is temporary. Because USDA requires SNAP authorized retailers to treat SNAP customers equally as other customers, we want to make clear that this discount is not only for SNAP customers — it’s for anyone experiencing food insecurity. As a small, two-store cooperative grocer, we don’t have deep pockets like big corporate chains; however, this is a time for all of us to step up and do everything in our power to help our community. We trust that our customers will only use this discount if they really need it.
We’re also continuing our strong fundraising partnership with Bellingham Food Bank through the end of the year. Thanks to your incredible generosity, our Making Change at Checkout program has already raised $200,000 this year. With two months left in the year, let’s see if we can reach $300,000 — or maybe even $500,000!
I spoke with Mike Cohen, Executive Director of Bellingham Food Bank, and he shared this with me:
“Local food insecurity was already too high (and growing) before the government shutdown. The suspension of SNAP for thousands of local families is inhumane and completely avoidable. The federal government is abandoning its commitment to help low-income families. Bellingham Food Bank, Community Food Co-op, and its members aren’t going away though. Instead, we’re showing up to help fight hunger together. Thank you for your generosity, and let’s continue to show our neighbors how much we care.”
Even after SNAP benefits are restored, there will still be a huge gap to fill at Bellingham Food Bank. They already serve approximately 5,000 households every week, and there’s a huge backlog of people who have applied for benefits due to the government shutdown and weakening job market. It will take months to relieve this backlog, so please consider giving (again) to the food bank when shopping at the Co-op.
It is thanks to your compassion that we can keep working toward food access for everyone. Together, we’ll keep showing up for our neighbors.
With gratitude,
Lisa Sedlar
CEO/GM
*Lend a Hand discount is not valid on alcohol, supplements, or mercantile. Cannot be combined with other discounts.