As the food assistance program that helps feed low-income Americans is set to expire, UNLV is stepping in to help fill the gaps for Nevadans.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or SNAP, help low-income Americans supplement their monthly budget for food in the form of food stamps. But the benefits won’t reach families in November, amid a government shutdown that has extended into its fourth week.
On Saturday, Nov. 1 — the day families would typically start to receive their November benefits — UNLV will partner with Three Square Food Bank to distribute food to 1,000 families outside the Thomas & Mack Center.
Nearly 500,000 people in Nevada receive food stamps, according to the Nevada Division of Social Services.
Forty percent of those are children, and children who are food insecure do worse in school, have more behavioral issues, experience poor academic performance, and poor income potential later on in life, according to Kelly Webber, an associate professor-in-residence at the School of Public Health.
For adults, food insecurity is related to increased risk for hypertension, diabetes, and mental health issues like anxiety, depression and eating disorders, she said.
“It goes beyond people being hungry right now,” Webber said. “Food insecurity has long-term consequences.”
Local Food Ecosystem Steps Up
More help could be on the way, as the Nevada Board of Examiners voted Wednesday to funnel $30 million to the state’s food banks to help SNAP recipients while the benefits are on hold.
That money will go to food banks like Three Square, who, in the food assistance ecosystem, sit at the top of the food distribution infrastructure, according to Three Square's chief operations and strategy officer Lisa Segler.
Three Square is Southern Nevada’s only food bank, who then funnels food to its 150 pantry partners in the valley to then disperse food in their individual communities.
At UNLV, the School of Public Health partners with the Division of Student Affairs to operate the university’s own food pantry, which is accessible to students, faculty, and staff.
"The UNLV Food Pantry is more than a resource for our campus community, but it reflects important values the university holds — when basic needs are met, our most vulnerable members can focus on pursuing their goals," said Keith Rogers, vice president for Student Affairs.
The food pantry receives over 30,000 pounds of food each year through donations, food rescue, and campus food drives, and typically sees a few hundred visitors each month, representing roughly 750-1,000 family members.
UNLV’s pantry has seen record demand this semester due to high grocery prices. In September alone, the pantry served a record 525 visitors, representing over 1,110 family members, according to UNLV Food Pantry coordinator Carmen Johnson, and those numbers are already set to be surpassed in October.
Hunger isn’t the only health concern that arises when families don’t have enough to eat.
“People may go hungry, but also think about all of the stress that entails, and the stress that introduces into families, the stress on parents and kids,” Webber said.
Relief in the Short Term
Those fortunate enough to not have to rely on food assistance during this time can still donate to the UNLV Food Pantry and support the university’s goals to partner with local organizations in addressing the needs of our community.
Three Square is anticipating serving thousands of additional people in need this month. With the additional funding from the state, the food bank is purchasing, procuring, and doing “literally everything in our possible power to get food to people immediately,” Segler said.
In the last four months, Three Square has seen a 16% increase in folks coming to pantries, she added. Of that increase, 75% are first-time pantry goers.
“That tells us right there everything we need to know,” Segler said. “People who don’t usually use a charitable food network are using that right now because they have to.”
Three Square is also accepting donations on its website or through its various pantry partners. Additionally, the food bank operates a hotline at 702-765-4030 to connect people with food assistance near them or to get help navigating benefits.
While food banks and food pantries can serve as a stopgap for food insecurity, it’s an issue Webber said must ultimately be addressed on a systemic level.
“In the short term, these efforts are really important and impactful,” Webber said. “These are not long-term solutions.”
