SNAP
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Athens-Clarke County
Athens Nonprofits Cope with Post-Shutdown SNAP Demand
Local nonprofits in Athens are continuing to feel the effects of the longest government shutdown in U.S history. “Until something gets taken away, you don’t really realize how much of a gift it is,” said Cole Phillips, CEO and Medical Director of Mercy Health Center, reflecting on the challenges faced…
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Athens-Clarke County
SNAP Benefit Cuts Leave Athens-Clarke Nonprofits Facing Sharp Rise in Demand
Geoff Rushing, founder of City of Refuge Athens, said Northeast Georgia has gone from “food insecurity crisis to food insecurity emergency.” On Nov. 1, for the first time in United States history, the federal government suspended benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program amid the federal government shutdown. The unprecedented…
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Food
How One Local Organization is Helping Families Affected by SNAP’s Potential Pause
Family Promise of Athens works to help people experiencing homelessness, but with SNAP cuts looming on Saturday, the organization is doing everything it can to fill the gap. SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a federally-funded program that provides monthly benefits to low-income households to help pay for…
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Athens-Clarke County
Forgotten Essentials: How Donating Personal Care Items Can Help
For many, buying shampoo, conditioner, deodorant or laundry detergent is an afterthought. But for thousands of families in Athens, these essentials are a financial burden often forcing difficult trade-offs between hygiene and other necessities like rent, utilities and food. Hygiene insecurity, sometimes referred to as hygiene poverty, describes the inability…
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Athens-Clarke County
How Local Gardens, Farmers Markets are Feeding Athens
Feeding America reported a 13.5% food insecurity rate in Athens-Clarke County in 2021. The USDA defines food insecurity as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” Around 27% of the Athens population is in poverty, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.…
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Athens-Clarke County
FarmRx Provides Free Produce for Low-Income Families in Athens
One in six Athens residents are considered “food insecure,” according to Feeding America. Thirty-five percent of that group do not qualify for assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. FarmRx, also known as the Food as Medicine Prescription Program, is working to provide free fruits and vegetables to low-income families…
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Athens-Clarke County
Farmers Market Doubles Food Stamps to Help Triple Impact
A local parent is challenging the Athens community to give and save. Jenn Thompson is encouraging people to swipe their Pandemic Electronic Benefit (P-EBT) card at the Athens Farmers Market to get their benefit funds doubled, purchase goods for half price and donate the original amount swiped to the Athens…
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Athens-Clarke County
Nutrition Education: A Key Component in Relieving Food Insecurity
Food is a basic necessity that 100 percent of people need and roughly 13 percent of people in the United States struggle to afford, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In Athens-Clarke County, nearly 22 percent of the population struggles to afford food, according to Feeding America.…