While we all eat well – I as much as anybody else – we face the overall problem of hunger in this country particularly now (November 7, 2025) with the deliberate and cruel attempt to restrict food stamps.
What do we do in response? There are admirable local efforts afoot
but are there others? My wife and I contribute to Feeding America. Any other suggestions?
Donate to food banks ($$$ over food). A lot of local restaurants here are offering free meals.
Incredible this is even necessary, but nonetheless it’s nice to see our community supporting the weakest.
I went to get my hair cut today and the salon had a very generous food pantry set up just inside the door with huge signs urging people to take what they need. I have donated to the local food bank here and in Boston and to World Kitchen, all as I know many other HOs do. But I don’t know what the societal answer is, other than vote.
I agree with you totally on this (as on pretty much all else), but in the present, immediate crisis I thought it would be useful to have suggestions about specifically where people might contribute.
The longish term is, as you say, to vote, but there’s an even longer term issue where no matter who is in power people go hungry in this, the richest country in the history of the earth.
I like that some local restaurants in Toronto will let customers pay it forward, paying for meals for people who can’t afford it.
I also like that a local chain restaurant serves dinner to everyone staying at Ronald McDonald House in my city on Wednesdays.
Lawyers here have a programme run through the Law Society of Ontario called Lawyers Feed The Hungry, which provides meals a couple nights a month.
I support Community Fridges in Toronto, as well as the Food Bank.
I have been supporting some charities that help kids learn to cook, and help provide families with food.
This registered charity teaches kids to make jam, and sells it online and through local stores. They also run a café, that helps people get a fresh start.
Something I do with my sorority (AKA= Alpha Kappa Alpha)
Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack (AKA CHIPP™)
“AKA CHIPP provides weekend and holiday meals for children within local communities “
We include cards with words of encouragement.
We also pack food at the food bank and support community gardens.
The community does some gleaning.
I think donating money is more effective for the food banks.
Donations to food banks are our way to go. Our local supermarket has a donation point, so we usually buy a couple of items to donate.
One of our nearby churches also runs a bank. From time to time, we make a cash donation so than can buy what they think is most needed.
There is a scheme nearby where supermarkets and restaurants donate surplus/dated foodstuffs. The scheme then turn them into meals which they serve to disadvantaged folk at their premises.
I donate $50 a month to my local food bank + and extra cash donation in December.
Donating to food banks is #1 in my book. They can spend a dollar about three times as efficiently as an individual can. The Central Texas Food Bank has seen demand go from about $1.5 million per month to $1 million per week. As they point out, the giant surge in demand is not just from loss of SNAP. There are people everywhere, not just DC, who are not getting paid because of the shutdown. The people on military bases, for example. Your air traffic controllers are not only overworked, stressed, and exhausted, they are worried about feeding and caring for themselves and their families with no money.
Religious and charitable programs are a big help. Our church provides about $25,000 in HEB gift cards each year, and we are constantly striving to keep increasing that. The cards can be spent not only on food but on prescriptions and hygiene products.. We also hand out breakfast tacos and hygiene items. Thank you to HEB for their support, shown in discounts on the cards we buy. There are loads of other organizations, some faith based and some not, doing similar work, remembering the admonition, “Feed my sheep.”
More and more places are putting out donation bins. Just don’t use it as a way to get rid of that old jar of questionable caviar. They need dried grains and legumes, canned fruits and vegetables, canned meats, flour, cooking oil, etc.
Yes to voting! Also respect our food by using it wisely and as fully as you can.
I’ve read about many individuals setting up mini food banks in their garages or on their lawns, and once the neighborhood hears about it, others make contributions to keep it going.
This Pittsburgh man started with a $150 purchase to help others, and it spiraled in a great way. An anonymous donor gave a lot of money, and he’s made several Costco runs and his pantry has expanded. He has fresh food along with non-perishables. Their local police has helped out as well as many others.
Restaurants are offering free meals, sometimes by showing your EBT card, but oftentimes not.
Monetary donations to your local food pantry is the best, as they get more for their dollar. But don’t forget they also need things like shampoo, soaps, feminine hygiene products, diapers, cleaning products as well.
And please don’t forget animal shelters. While those on SNAP can’t buy pet food with their benefits card, the loss of SNAP benefits means they don’t have any spare cash to buy pet food.
Yes, like I said 
I have checked in on some of my elderly neighbors and told them to call if they need anything. So far… so good.
I’ll gladly deliver a hot meal, if needed.
Recently, I picked up 50 pounds of flour and have plenty of yeast in stock, quite easy to turn some of that into homemade loaves of bread for my neighbors.
I can’t afford to do much else, but I can do that.
When someone is begging for change on the street, I donate. When they’re near a market or anyplace that sells food, I offer to buy them something. Sandwiches, bags of trail mix, cheese, fruit. For some reason supermarket fried chicken is a popular request.
It’s not much, but I usually have some food with me that can be given away, like a hard-boiled egg or a bag of almonds. And I donate to City Harvest.
Anything given is a good deed. I use to give to when asked for $$ or looks like they could but a lot or most of the homeless were cleared out of Oakland. I don’t see many people on the streets. I tried to volunteer to cook and prep meals about 2 years ago but no one ever called back. There was one program where you batch cooked at home and they reimbursed basic costs. The ready meals are put in a community fridge for people to take. Maybe need to check that org out again.
Otherwise, the American food system needs reform. How? I have ideas but I’ll leave that to discussion and experts. I do know there’s about a billion tons of wasted food in the US, to the tune of around $1 TRILLION dollars per year. That’s a lot of waste and a lot of wasted $$$. So there’s enough food but some how the system wastes so much.
The question then is why is there so much waste, and why is there this systematic failure that allows both massive waste and hunger (in the wealthiest nation). Also, who exactly is running this system, and who are the major players that allow it all to happen. I think most people can put 1 + 1 together and get that large corporations (food industry and retail) run the vast majority of the US food system. How to reform that? Hate to create more bureaucracy…but either tax the waste, or give tax incentives to stop it…but I have doubts or reservations as corporations tend to game everything…like the whole fake recycling BS.
Otherwise, I guess do your personal best and push for change, and resist the fascist onslaught of destructive assholedom and hate.
Also, donate pet food, so people don’t have to surrender their pets to pounds or — even worse, leave them somewhere because they’re not able to feed them any more.
It’s truly disgusting it has come to this.
I know we don’t do politics but I’m going to steal that remark to use elsewhere. Thanks you. 
You bless your neighbors with exemplary kindness, smarts, and all that goes with those qualities. We expect that what you are sowing, reaps bountifully. As our Dad repeatedly told us in his last days: “Take care of everyone.” He and Mom set an example that we struggle to emulate.
I think my daughter in Oakland is doing something like that.
ETA Nope. She’s cooking for specific volunteers, but I am so impressed to see her cooking!
