Amid food stamp suspension, Phoenix communities are stepping up to feed families

Like many kids, nine-year-old Yulan and her 12-year-old brother, Yahweh, love noodles and Lunchables. Their mom, Tyii Dillard, 34, does everything she can to make sure they can have them. She clips coupons, plans meals and stretches each grocery trip a little further than the last.

“I kind of feel guilty because I’ve been eating a lot,” Yulan said. “I did not know how much my mom was going through.” 

Dillard relies on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, also known as SNAP, to help cover groceries for her two children and her mother, whom she cares for. According to the Department of Economic Security, she is one of 855,273 Arizona residents whose food assistance is set to expire on Nov. 1 while federal lawmakers disagree on a national budget. She said the family has yet to even receive their October benefits.

Both teared up inside Olla Olla Crepes on Van Buren Street in central Phoenix as they discussed their struggles since the government shutdown nearly a month ago. The cafe’s owner, Lyndelle Sanjuanero Puente, has been running a donation drive through her organization, 2nd Freedom, after learning the family was struggling to keep food on the table.

“If it wasn’t for her organization and the food bags, I wouldn’t have much,” Dillard said.

Puente said her family also used food assistance when she was growing up. Understanding the Dillard family’s situation, she jumped into action to make sure her long-time patrons were taken care of.

“It’s very scary. I grew up on food stamps, free backpacks, free bus passes,” Puente said. “To hear food is not gonna be available for those with food insecurities, food pantries just won’t be enough.”

Olla Olla is among several businesses that are coming together to provide for SNAP recipients. Angel Gould, owner of Lovebite Dumplings in Downtown Phoenix, announced her restaurant would provide free meals for those affected, from Nov. 1 to Nov. 8. Despite being a small business, Gould said the well-being of the community outweighs the financial hit. 

“No one should go hungry because of politics,” she said.

Puente said the community has stepped up to provide a surplus of food. Now, the Dillard’s take it and distribute it to their neighbors, also struggling with food insecurity. She said it’s the least they can do to make sure others stay fed.

“I like to help people, no matter who they are,” Dillard said, “If you need help, I don’t mind helping.”

Across the Valley, other food banks and organizations are thinking creatively to prepare for the anticipated influx of people when benefits run out. 

Pinnacle Prevention is a nonprofit in Chandler dedicated to providing food assistance across the state. Executive Director Adrienne Udarbe says their program, Double Up Food Bucks, is their way of paying it forward. For every SNAP dollar spent at one of their participating locations, they match it with an additional dollar to be spent on locally grown fruits and vegetables.

“We call it a win-win-win,” Udarbe said. “It helps families bring home more healthy foods to their table, generates more revenue and supports local farmers, and circulates more funds back into our local economy.”

The organization currently serves approximately 7,000 people each month across the state. It expects that number to increase drastically after Nov. 1 in what Udarbe expects to be a “humanitarian crisis.” Now, in addition to their regular food bucks, they will provide vouchers of up to $40 per day for anyone who receives benefits. 

The Creighton Community Foundation is another organization that assists with these efforts. Within the 10 square miles that comprise the Creighton School District, they serve approximately 6,500 unique households annually. Now, their supply is being strained.

“Our food bank partners are already reducing allocations and giving us less food so they can prepare for what’s coming,” executive director Jeff Boles said. “There’s no cushion set aside for something like this.”

Boles seems to be correct. In a press conference last week, Gov. Katie Hobbs said the state doesn’t have a “pot of money” set aside to prolong SNAP benefits. The statement came after Arizona’s Department of Economic Security waited two weeks to inform the public about the pause officially. 

“I thought people knew about this,” Hobbs said.

Since then, the state approved $1.8 million in unspent pandemic relief funds to assist food bank networks. In the press release, the governor, who said she also once relied on food stamps, acknowledged that the funding is minimal compared to the $150 million provided monthly.

In the meantime, Dillard will continue to go without benefits as community members band together to make sure families stay fed. Organizers are asking people to make financial or grocery donations wherever possible. Most of all, they ask to extend a hand where it’s needed.

“People are gonna need some type of smile,” she said, “It doesn’t have to be money. It could be a burrito, juice, a joke, or a hug.”

Her daughter’s request was simple: “Food stamps need to come back so our parents can buy food for their kids and so their parents can buy stuff for themselves too.”

For a list of resources and updates regarding SNAP, click here. For a list of businesses offering assistance, click here.