The Top 7 Ways to Help Struggling SNAP Recipients
By popular demand, here are some key ways to support food-insecure Americans while Republicans turn their backs.
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When the government shuts down food assistance, ordinary people step up. As SNAP hangs in limbo and millions of families wonder how they’ll eat next week, the Danger Corps is doing what we always do — taking care of our neighbors.
On Monday’s episode of The Dangerous Ones Podcast, we broke down seven real ways to fight hunger and feed America — from donating smart to volunteering, from supporting local food systems to defending SNAP itself. None of this is charity. It’s solidarity. Here’s how you can help.
The Top 7 Ways to Help Struggling SNAP Recipients
1. Donate to Feeding America!
On Monday’s episode, we launched a Danger Corps Feeding America fundraiser! So far, in just one day, we’ve raised of $6,000!
ALL of this money goes to Feeding America’s efforts. NOTHING comes to The Dangerous Ones.
Click here to donate:
Cash donations give food banks enormous leverage. Because of wholesale purchasing and national partnerships, Feeding America can turn $1 into roughly 10 meals. Most local banks also have distribution networks that cut waste and target what’s actually needed (like protein, baby formula, and fresh produce).
Giving canned goods to food banks is also great! But these organizations are able to stretch cash A LOT farther.
Feeding America’s 2024 report says 49 million Americans faced food insecurity, and their 200-member network distributed over 5 billion meals in one year - mostly funded by cash gifts, not food drives.
2. Volunteer Where It Matters
Every major food bank runs on volunteers - people are the backbone. From sorting and packing to delivery and intake, human hands make the system work.
Many warehouses are short-staffed because of inflation and fuel costs squeezing budgets.
Volunteering for even two hours can move thousands of pounds of food.
Pro tip:
Use Feeding America’s “Find Your Local Food Bank” tool — enter your ZIP code, and it shows nearby volunteer opportunities.
You don’t have to move mountains — just move some boxes. Two hours of your time could literally feed hundreds of people this week.
3. Support Local Food Systems
Local food networks - co-ops, farmers’ markets, urban farms - keep healthy food flowing before people need emergency aid.
Many farmers’ markets accept SNAP via EBT terminals.
When people buy locally, more food dollars stay in the community, supporting small farms and reducing supply-chain dependency.
Stat:
Every dollar spent locally creates roughly $1.60 in local economic activity - a multiplier effect that stabilizes neighborhoods.
Buying local isn’t just trendy - it’s resilience. Every cucumber you buy from a neighborhood farm is one less family relying on emergency boxes next month.
4. Back Double-Up Programs
Imagine walking into a market with $20 in SNAP and walking out with $40 worth of fresh produce. That’s what Double-Up programs do - and they work.
“Double Up Food Bucks” and similar programs match every SNAP dollar spent on fresh fruits and vegetables - often up to $20 per visit. It doubles buying power and improves diet quality for low-income families.
These programs exist in over 30 states and are proven to increase fruit-and-veggie consumption by 20-30%.
They also support small farmers who benefit from higher local sales.
So, check with your state and see if they have a program. If they don’t, advocate. If they do, check with your local markets to see whether they take advantage of the program. If they don’t, advocate.
5. Feed Kids on Weekends
Millions of kids rely on school lunches to get through the week - but when Friday hits, the food stops. That’s why schools and food banks run “backpack” programs: sending kids home with discreet weekend meal packs so they don’t go hungry.
Each bag usually includes kid-friendly, easy-to-open foods - oatmeal, fruit cups, tuna packs, mac & cheese - enough for two breakfasts, two lunches, and snacks.
It costs about $150-$200 to feed one child all year, and the impact is immediate: teachers say kids come back Monday focused, rested, and ready to learn.
You can help by sponsoring a student, donating to your local backpack program, organizing a food drive, or volunteering to pack bags.
This is one of those simple things that works - no politics, no red tape. Just making sure kids eat.
6. Use Your Voice
SNAP isn’t a handout - it’s an economic engine. Studies show every $1 in SNAP spending generates up to $1.50 in local economic activity. Yet Congress keeps using it as a political pawn.
Lawmakers respond to constituent noise - calls, letters, and public tags do get tallied.
Hunger policy is shaped by perception; shifting the narrative helps defend these programs.
Hunger is a policy choice. If your rep is voting to cut SNAP, they’re voting for empty stomachs. Make them own it. Call them today and make your voice heard!
7. Normalize Asking for Help
Shame keeps people hungry. Roughly 40% of people who qualify for SNAP never apply, largely because of stigma or confusion.
The average benefit is around $2 per person per meal - not luxury, just survival.
The more we normalize conversations around food insecurity, the more people get access to help.
Needing help doesn’t mean you’ve failed - it means you’re human. Let’s stop pretending hunger is a personal flaw. It’s not.
So talk about this crisis with your friends, families and communities.
If you take one thing from this post: hunger isn’t inevitable. It’s solvable. We just need more people — like the Danger Corps — showing up with heart, hustle, and maybe a little righteous anger.
Thanks, guys, for organizing this information in one place. Some I knew - like cash is better than food because food banks can make those dollars go much farther. I’ll repost this to friends. Keep fighting!
I put in my zip code and the nearest food bank is 4+ hours away in Spokane?! That can’t be accurate. And how do we support the kids eating on weekends program?