Many of us are concerned about our neighbors losing Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits, going through a job layoff and dealing with the increasing stressors of an economy that is squeezing the average person. We want to do something to keep children from going hungry and our neighbors from suffering. In this chaotic and troubling environment, it can be tempting to start up something new.

I’ve spent decades working in human services fighting food insecurity, connecting people with needed services and strengthening a workforce of caring professionals. We have the infrastructure in place to support people in crisis, and this is a time for all of us to come together to strengthen and support the teams of organizations and individuals stepping up to serve people experiencing challenges. 

Donate to Food for Lane County, or directly to your local food pantry. Make a financial donation to an organization serving people navigating poverty and working families who are being especially strained in our current environment. Reach out to your neighborhood school and see if there are needs you can help meet. Check on the seniors in your world and provide extra support. Encourage your church congregation to do an extra food drive or provide gift cards for local grocery stores. If you’ve got the time to volunteer and can be reliable and ready to hit the ground running, now is the time to jump in and provide extra staffing help to organizations who are serving more people. Check in on your neighbors — people who are doing fine this week might be struggling in another week or two if this crisis continues.

There’s a role for all of us to play, but it doesn’t involve starting from scratch. Lean into the infrastructure we have in place. Reach out to an organization you trust and admire, and help shore them up to meet the current need. We will get more support to people quicker by relying on the system we’ve built to meet our neighbors’ needs in times of scarcity.

Kori Rodley
Springfield