As thousands of Hoosiers grapple with food insecurity, an issue complicated for many by the pause and so far only partial restoration of Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, some Indianapolis-area eateries are helping feed their neighbors.
Cuylor Reeves, owner of Bake Sale Indy at 62nd Street and Allisonville Road, is one of the city’s small-business owners trying to make a difference. On Nov. 5, the day SNAP-eligible Hoosiers would have received their monthly allotment, Reeves announced on Instagram that Bake Sale would set aside a portion of its day-old bread for anyone who needed it, no questions asked.
Since then, those who come into the northside bakery can grab day-old loaves — typically $4, half of their $8 price when fresh — and exit without paying or talking to an employee. Reeves said he set up the bread box so people in need wouldn’t feel they had to ask for food. The bakery owner pointed to federal employees who lost their jobs during the shutdown and others who may not want to seek food assistance out of pride.
“The number of people who live paycheck to paycheck in this country, regardless of how much money they make per year, is pretty substantial,” Reeves told IndyStar. “It’s not just for people who had SNAP benefits; it’s for anyone who needs it.”
Other businesses have followed suit. This week, Windsor Park staple Sidedoor Bagel announced it would begin giving away day-old and frozen bagels rather than selling them at a discount. On Oct. 31, Sam’s Square Pie owner Jeff Miner announced in a video on Instagram that SNAP-eligible customers with children can receive a free small pizza and a discounted full-size pizza if they bring in their child and EBT card to his eastside Detroit-style pizzeria.
“We don’t want to see kids go hungry,” Miner said in the video. “We want to see our kids healthy and fed.”
In an industry famed for tight profit margins, restaurant owners generally aren’t in a position to give away their product for free. But at least for Reeves, the nationwide food crisis persuaded him he had to act.
“I mean, they’re our neighbors,” Reeves said. “I want to help my neighbors, I want to help Indianapolis at large. We’re not enough to help the state or the country, but we’re just doing what we can.”
Before as well as during the shutdown, Bake Sale tried to combat food insecurity since by donating leftover food to Central Indiana hunger relief agency Second Helpings. While the organization has seen a steady increase in people facing food insecurity in the nearly 30 years since it started, the last few weeks have put even more stress on the pantries to which it distributes food, CEO Linda Broadfoot told IndyStar.
“The need persists, with or without a SNAP crisis, but certainly I think a lot of partners are seeing more demand as a result,” she said.
In turn, Broadfoot said, Second Helpings has seen an uptick in interest “at all levels” to help mitigate food insecurity in Indy, from other hunger-fighting organizations to volunteers to businesses like restaurants hosting food drives.
“We’ve been just kind of blown away by the community response we’ve seen,” Broadfoot said.
Far more people are vulnerable to food insecurity than the average person may realize, Broadfoot said. People who rely on food pantries may be SNAP-eligible, laid off, facing expensive medical conditions and or working a low-wage job.
“The folks who are on (food assistance programs) are no different than those of us who are fortunate enough at any given time to not be,” Broadfoot said. “There are any number of things that can lead someone to need those services. We know ultimately that this is a poverty issue more than a hunger issue.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy-area eateries offer free food to help combat food insecurity amid SNAP uncertainty
Reporting by Bradley Hohulin, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
