Snap & GoOn May 18th, the Houston Food Bank’s Social Service Outreach Program (SSOP) held its first SNAP and Groceries To Go Event with agency partner Sacred Heart Social Ministry, which distributed food to 92 people and assisted 13 people with applying for SNAP. The SNAP and Groceries To Go is a program which combines a food distribution alongside application assistance for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Additionally, clients can also apply for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The food distribution provides fresh fruits and vegetables and promotes Client Choice, which allows clients to select the food items they want and will eat. This type of food distribution paired with a social service outreaching event is in keeping with one of Houston Food Banks strategic initiatives, which is to use food as a catalyst for change.
Focuses are on counties outside of Harris that are more rural and have less social services and high rates of food insecurity. In Fort Bend, where Sacred Heart Social Ministry is located, food insecurity is 14.9% (87,560 people),while food insecurity for children is 18.6% (32,110 people). In addition, 51% of food insecure children are eligible for SNAP. The SNAP and Groceries To Go Program plays a critical role in lowering these statistics by introducing essential resources into the community. Though Houston Food Bank provides the food and staff to assist clients with applying for social services, if it were not for the dedicated efforts of the staff and volunteers at Sacred Heart Social Ministry who promoted the event and services and then helped distribute the food, the impact of the event would have been much more limited. Thus, Sacred Heart Social Ministry deserves special thanks for making this event and future ones possible. We thank you! |
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