Atlanta Community Food Bank pulling $5M out of reserves as SNAP runs out
The Atlanta Community Food Bank will take $5 million out of its reserves to prepare for what it expects will be surging demand across metro Atlanta as federal government workers go unpaid during the shutdown and food assistance is paused.
The food bank will use the money to buy an additional 6 million pounds of food over the next four weeks, or about 300,000 pounds a day. It distributes grocery items to about 700 metro Atlanta organizations including food pantries and shelters, as serving its own community food centers and home delivery service.
The effort comes amid the government shutdown that has dragged on almost a full month, leaving thousands of federal workers in metro Atlanta without paychecks. Complicating matters, more than 1.3 million Georgia residents could lose access to benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, Nov. 1.
“We know that there’s going to be an increase in demand,” said Kyle Waide, president and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. “We don’t know if it’s going to be a thunderstorm or Category 5 hurricane, but we know that there’s a storm coming of additional need.”
The additional need for food comes as persistent inflation has driven up grocery prices. The food bank is already serving about 70% more people than it did in early 2022, an average of 250,000 households per month, Waide said.
Resources are also under pressure, he said. Earlier this year, the U.S Department of Agriculture cut federal programs that provided about $1 billion worth of funding to schools and food banks.
“Even prior to the shutdown, lines are already very long at food pantries all across North Georgia and really across the country,” Waide said. “There’s just a lot more economic pressure on more of our neighbors.”
In its 29-county service area, the food bank estimates that about 750,000 SNAP recipients could lose access to about $130 million worth of food benefits per month.
On a typical visit to a partner organization, such as a food bank or shelter, a person may receive about 50 pounds of food — enough for 42 meals, Waide said.
“It is not reasonable to think that we would be able to replace the full impact of the SNAP program,” Waide said. “We’re going to mitigate it, and I think, make a very big difference. But we’re not going to fully replace what is being disrupted.”
Rachel Kent, 45, receives about $300 in SNAP benefits per month to help her and her 14-year-old son, Sterling, eat home-cooked meals. She’s divorced and started receiving food stamps about six months ago while she looks for permanent work.
“SNAP isn’t a choice for my son and I. It’s survival,” she said at a news conference Wednesday. “Too many of our leaders don’t know what it’s like to check the pantry before payday, to stretch $10 across a week, or to send a child to bed after another long day of trying.”
As Nov. 1 approaches, Kent said she plans to prepare by making sure her pantry is stocked with canned goods, flour and other kitchen staples to make meals that last.
“The biggest thing I’m worried about (is) getting healthy foods. Meat is expensive. Eggs are expensive. Milk is expensive. I don’t buy junk food with food stamps,” she said.
Shana Brown of LaGrange worked as a caregiver for 30 years. But in April, she said she was forced to stop working because of constant pain from degenerative disk disease.
Brown, 48, said she has filed for disability payments but has not yet been approved. She’s been relying on about $300 in SNAP benefits per month as her main source of food.
Without food assistance, she doesn’t know what to do. She said she has no income coming in or family nearby to help.
“I really don’t have a plan,” Brown said on Wednesday. “I’m just lost right now … All I do is pray. That’s all I can do.”
Former state Sen. Jason Esteves, a Democratic candidate for governor, who also spoke at the Wednesday news conference, suggested that people keep using any funds that are already loaded on EBT cards. They can reach out to local food banks, houses of worship and schools that provide resources, he said.
People struggling to find enough food can visit FeedingAmerica.org and input their ZIP code to find food banks providing assistance.
Waide said the best way for people to help is to donate money, not food. That’s because the food bank can get better prices by buying in bulk.
“If we outperform our expectations on fundraising, we’ll be able to buy more food to help make a bigger difference in offsetting the impact of the shutdown,” Waide said. The food bank is also looking for more volunteers, he said.
Waide said taking $5 million out of its reserves is significant for the food bank. “Our typical purchasing volume in a year is like $15 million, and we’re going to do this in just four weeks,” he said.
Still, the food bank expects it can end the year with about 13 months of reserve funding, depending on the success of its fundraising efforts.
“How folks are going to keep their lives together financially in the midst of a disruption that is as significant as this is alarming,” Waide said. “None of us want to see our friends and neighbors in pain.”
About the Authors
Michelle Baruchman covers the Georgia House of Representatives and statewide issues. She is a politics news and enterprise reporter covering statewide political stories.
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