Alyssah Hall
Last month, Republicans in the House of Representatives voted on budget reconciliation legislation that could cut roughly $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next 10 years.
“This legislation proposes shifting a portion of the cost of SNAP benefits to the states, a move that could result in reduced benefits or limited eligibility, the opposite of what our neighbors say they need to thrive,” Vince Hall, Feeding America chief government relations officer, said in a statement.
“Feeding America network food banks are vital resources as demand rises, but strong federal nutrition programs are critical to ensuring our neighbors have the support they need.”
According to Feeding America, if this legislation is enacted, 9.5 billion meals each year would be taken away from the people experiencing food insecurity, including children, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities.
But Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino’s (FARSB) continues to support those in need of food assistance by way of their new Fresh Start Pantry by Goodman. The pantry is located at the FARSB Hunger Resource Center in Riverside.
The FARSB Hunger Resource Center is over 15,000 square feet and also includes upstairs administration offices, a downstairs development office, a warehouse, and a CalFresh Resource Center where people can get help applying for SNAP or EBT benefits.
The Fresh Start pantry currently serves around 200 households every month and is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. It is FARSB’s first on-site pantry, set up like a small grocery store where referred individuals can shop at no cost and use a point system instead. The intention behind centering the pantry on the client’s choice was to give individuals a more personal and dignified experience.
“We want people to come in here, have the choice in what they do and what they have for their families. They get to pick what they want. They get the items that they know their family is going to eat, nothing’s going to waste,” Rachel Bonilla, Communications Coordinator of FARSB, stated.
The point system they offer is to ensure they have enough food for everybody. Each client receives 18 points per month. The pantry signs up a maximum of five people per 30-minute time slots throughout the day. Time slots can be chosen by accessing the portal online.
Healthcare partners of FARSB like Riverside University Health System (RUHS) and the Riverside Free Clinic perform food insecurity surveys for everyone that visits their centers. If these healthcare partners determine that someone is food insecure, meaning they are not receiving three meals a day, they give them a referral card with FARSB’s pantry. The pantry is meant to be a transitional point for referred individuals, giving them a shopping appointment once a month for three months.
“We try to get them on our monthly food distributions elsewhere, or CalFresh, EBT benefits, anything like that, that can be consistent,” said Bonilla.
The pantry is stocked with fresh produce, necessary proteins and starches, and even Starbucks donations. On items that the pantry consistently gets, they assign a lower point, such as the Starbucks food donations. A referred shopper can get 15 Starbucks food items per point.
“Some of these items are one point, and there are limits on some products, like eggs were a big one for quite some time, for obvious reasons,” Bonilla shared. “So depending on what their family needs, how many are in their household, they can go for the fresh items that are maybe just one point.
Since the pantry is not open on Fridays, any donated product that FARSB doesn’t use is given to one of their partners like the Elevate Life Church next door to them. Tuesday through Thursday, the pantry is typically stocked full of products and busy.
“There’s a lot of ways that you can help support something like this and just get the message out to people that client choice is important…People can always donate food, donate funds, or come, volunteer. This is a new volunteer area for us, and we do have a few that are at the warehouse as well,” Bonilla said.
People who like working with others are encouraged to apply to volunteer. On a Fresh Start Pantry shift, a volunteer can interact with shoppers, help them to their car and make their pantry experience even better, according to Bonilla.