Dear Friends,

How is it October already? This year is flying by. The good news about it being October already...a long overdue and permanent SNAP benefit increase is here. Benefit levels are based on the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which the USDA updated this past August to better reflect the true cost of eating healthy on a limited budget and better align with the foods we eat today. There can be many barriers to eating healthy on a SNAP budget, but the biggest barrier is the cost. This is due to the cost of food itself, which has risen significantly during the pandemic, and is exacerbated by barriers to accessing affordable, healthy foods in many communities. While we are excited by this increase, we recognize that it is still modest. You can learn more about this in the Policy and Advocacy section below.

Food Pantry & Soup Kitchens

Our food rescue team of dedicated local food pantry and soup kitchen leaders provided 11,550 pounds of food to their neighbors in September. This food nourished 1,950 individuals in 651 households. If your food pantry or soup kitchen would like to be added to the waiting list, please contact Derek Felton at [email protected].

If you are a food pantry and soup kitchen leader, there is still time to reserve your spot at the Coalition Against Hunger's Victory in Partnership (VIP) meeting on Zoom Thursday, October 21st, from 10:30am-12noon. Learn about the latest critical changes to the SNAP Program from the Coalition's own Policy Director, Kathy Fisher, and Community Educator, Katie Milholin. Then share these updates with your program participants. Contact Tanya Sen at [email protected] to register today!

Week to Fight Hunger

Due to the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases and the increasing concern over what the next week will bring, we are transitioning from an in-person Night to Fight Hunger Gala to a virtual Week to Fight Hunger. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but for the safety of all guests, sponsors, and staff, we feel we must make this change.

While we've had to transition our in-person gala to a virtual event, food insecurity remains a tremendous problem, and we need your support more than ever. Our virtual Week To Fight Hunger will run from October 14 through October 21 and will include some exciting items in our silent auction. Please register for our online silent auction today! You can do so here or text Night2FightHunger21 to the number 243-725.

Policy and Advocacy

As noted above, there are important SNAP changes that went into effect on October 1. In addition to the higher SNAP benefit levels, which you can see in our Thrifty Food Plan flyer (available in English and Spanish), income eligibility standards have also increased (these, along with maximum allotments and deductions are adjusted at the beginning of each federal fiscal year). The new income limits are available in our hotline flyer, also in English and Spanish. 

In addition, we need to share an important change concerning SNAP processes that we reported in our last Community Update. After our update went out, we learned from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) that the USDA granted PA an extension of administrative flexibilities as the County Assistance Offices and clients progress toward normal operations. This means that the two waivers that were about to expire have now been extended until the end of 2021. So what does this mean for SNAP applicants and participants? Two things:

1. SNAP applicants do not have to complete an interview in order to be approved for benefits (however, the annual interview to renew benefits is now required).
2. If a SNAP participant is unable to return their Semi-Annual Report (SAR), their benefits will not be cut off. However, DHS is still sending SARs in an effort to keep cases as up-to-date as possible. Clients should complete their SAR and return it if possible.

SNAP Hotline

Our Coalition Against Hunger SNAP Hotline team is here to help! Whether it’s navigating the SNAP application process or providing case management, our SNAP Hotline team is available to help Monday – Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Give our SNAP Hotline team a call at 215-430-0556.

And if you are looking to visit the County Assistance Offices (CAO), they are open for in-person assistance. You can visit their offices or contact their Customer Service Center at 215-560-7226 (Philadelphia) or 877-395-8930 (statewide). For phone numbers and addresses of all Philadelphia County Assistance offices, please use this link.