Across the country, families are facing a new wave of uncertainty. A potential SNAP shutdown could interrupt food assistance for millions of Americans - including nearly 16 million children who rely on these benefits to eat every day. If Congress doesn’t act, families could begin losing access to these lifelines as soon as November 1, 2025, leaving parents to make impossible choices between groceries, rent, and medicine.
Independent restaurants see the effects of hunger up close. We feed the people who feed everyone else and yet many of our teammates and colleagues are among the 42 million Americans who depend on SNAP.
In moments like this, community is everything. Here’s a short list of ways to help each other find food, give food, and support food banks that feed millions.
How to Find Food
If you’re worried about putting food on the table, please know: help is out there, and it’s closer than you think.
- FoodFinder: A free, easy-to-use map that connects you to local food pantries, school meal programs, and community organizations that provide groceries and hot meals. You can search by zip code and find open locations near you. No paperwork. No judgment. Just help.
- Freedge: Freedge is a network of community refrigerators stocked and cared for by neighbors, available 24/7, free for anyone. You can take what you need or leave what you can. The Find a Freedge map shows community fridges across the world.
How to Give Food
If you own or manage a food-focused business or just have a little extra to share, your food can make a real difference.
- Food Recovery Network: This national organization helps recover surplus food from restaurants, campuses, and events, redirecting it to people in need. They make donating easy, safe, and compliant — so good food never goes to waste.
- You can also host your own “give what you can” meal, set up a staff meal for families in need, or partner with a local pantry.
- And if you’re already doing something like hosting a free meal night, stocking a community fridge, or donating to recovery programs? Share it! Post it, tag us (@indprestaurants), and we’ll amplify your efforts. Your story will inspire another act of generosity.
Care comes in many forms
Not everyone has food to give — and that’s okay. Here are a few other ways to make a difference.
- Volunteer Your Time: Food banks and community pantries depend on volunteers to sort, re-pack, and distribute food every day. Use the Feeding America volunteer portal to find opportunities near you. Many organizations need help preparing family meal boxes, delivering groceries to homebound seniors, or staffing mobile pantries. Giving your time is just as valuable as giving food. Every box packed and every hand extended keeps families nourished and hopeful.
- Donate to Your Local Food Bank Feeding America connects you to food banks across the U.S., ensuring your donation supports neighbors in your own community. Every dollar helps local organizations purchase and distribute fresh food where it’s needed most.
A disruption in SNAP funding doesn’t just affect the families receiving benefits, it affects the entire food system. When the safety net frays, we all feel it. And when we respond together, through sharing, donating, and connecting, we rebuild it.
Independent restaurants have always shown up in moments of crisis from wildfires to hurricanes, blackouts to pandemics. This moment is no different.