We are the wealthiest nation in the world and have a president who refuses to feed the hungry. According to the Clermont County Department of Jobs and Services, approximately 15,000 recipients may be affected by the Trump Administration’s suspension of SNAP benefits:
- 7,185 households
- 8,748 adults
- 6.214 children
Where to find help
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, read here about Clermont County services designed to help. Also check out the MMG Resource Alliance, a central hub for local, verified sources for help in the Milford, Miami Township, and Goshen areas. Its primary platform is a Facebook page where listings are regularly updated. There may be other food pantries resources where you live that are not currently accessible through the Alliance, so be sure to reach out to them as well. Melissa Meyer, President and CEO at IPM Food Pantry, will speak at the next CCDP monthly meeting on December 4 to discuss poverty and food insecurity in Clermont County.
Where you can donate or volunteer
Julie Schmidt, Clermont Northeastern Schools Board of Education Member and Executive Director of CNE Cares, offers this insight:
“There are so many people looking to help and offering advice on helping ease the withholding of SNAP benefits. As someone who has been running a pantry for five years and has learned many lessons in the process, here is my advice: call or email whatever pantry you are interested in donating to and ask what their biggest need is. Or some may have wish lists or most needed item lists posted on their websites.
For some it will be dollars, some volunteers, others specific items that are hard to procure through the Freestore Foodbank (FSFB) or other organization. And for smaller pantries like ours, it will be all three. We all have different programs and support families in different ways, so take the extra step when you are seeking to help – it will help food get to the people who need it most in the most efficient way. If you can help, now is definitely the time.”
