INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — United Against Poverty of Indian River County, in response to the ongoing national freeze of SNAP benefits, is helping residents by providing food vouchers for subsidized groceries. Residents already enrolled in SNAP – or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – are eligible for the vouchers, which will be 30 percent of their normal benefits.
“If you receive SNAP benefits and you have not received your benefits this month, up until Monday of next week we’re going to be helping anyone whose benefit date would’ve been the 10th and earlier,” said Jane McNulty-Snead, director of development for the local United Against Poverty branch. “Each Monday we will add another week for SNAP recipients to receive the food vouchers.”
The vouchers – which can be used to buy bread, eggs and other products – are part of United Against Poverty’s Member Share Grocery Program. Residents can receive the vouchers – which come in $10 increments – during the week they would normally receive their SNAP benefits.
“A lot of times people think of a stereotype when you talk about SNAP. We work with this population. We’re talking about veterans that have fought for this country, seniors that are living on a fixed income that can no longer stretch those dollars to meet their budget, moms who are working two jobs and struggling just to put food on the table for their kids,” McNulty-Snead.
“These are our neighbors. These are the people you see waiting on your tables. These are the people washing your car or taking your cell phone bill payment. These are the everyday people that you are looking at all day, every day that are just trying to make ends meet.”
United Against Poverty will run the SNAP Support Initiative Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its main campus, 1400 27th Street, Vero Beach. The nonprofit is partnering with the Mental Health Collaborative, Treasure Coast Homeless Services Council and the Senior Resource Association to provide assistance to residents.
The Member Share Grocery Program, which operates in the grocery store attached to the United Against Poverty main center, is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Monday, Nov. 3, United Against Poverty officials helped 50 families with 692 vouchers.
“Fifty percent of Indian River County residents are struggling to support the basic necessities. To be able to save 70 percent on their grocery costs and redirect that funding back into their household budget can be a game changer,” McNulty-Snead said.
SNAP benefits froze on Saturday, Nov. 1 as the federal government continued its funding shutdown. SNAP provides monthly funding to buy groceries. The national food assistance initiative is the largest anti-hunger program in America, helping more than 41 million people in 2022, according to its website.
Residents visiting the United Against Poverty center will have to show proof of their SNAP benefits. Those seeking vouchers can bring the front page of their food stamps that show the deposit date and the amount they are getting, said Samantha Maurice, STEP Success Coach for United Against Poverty.
Residents can also go online and login to the MyACCESS portal on the Florida Department of Children and Families website to show proof of their SNAP benefits.
“They can log online on their phones, and we can take a picture,” said Wendy McDaniel, senior manager of crisis services at United Against Poverty.
Amber Anderson, crisis navigator for United Against Poverty, said people who are already battling food insecurity come to the center on a daily basis. Anderson said the freezing of SNAP benefits drastically increases the amount of food insecurity in the community.
“Being able to do (the SNAP Support Initiative) and offsetting the burden (the freeze) is placing on families feels really good,” Anderson said. “This is really something that is helping people in a big way.”
For more information on United Against Poverty’s resources and programs, visit the organization’s website.
Photos by Nick Samuel
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- Salina Balderas
