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When SNAP benefits were temporarily halted earlier this month, it hit foster families especially hard.
A quick community response brought in thousands of dollars and much-needed food, but staff at FosterAdopt Connect in Independence say the need didn’t end when benefits resumed.
The nonprofit collected more than $10,000 in just seven days, $7,000 of that in a single day — enough food to supply more than 100 families with a week’s worth of affordable meals.
Those donations came just ahead of the shutdown’s end and will now be used to help families recover in the weeks ahead.
“It heightened a problem that existed,” said Terri Goddard, FosterAdopt Connect’s director of corporate engagement. “Food insecurity happens year-round. In the last couple weeks without SNAP benefits, many of our families were going hungry, and we had items in here, but not necessarily things to make a complete meal. So we reached out to the community with meals that matter and got enough donations… So it'll take some of the stress off of the families, what they're going through right now with food insecurity and/or just how to pay their bills with the holidays coming.”
Goddard said the Kansas City community responded quickly.
“Kansas City is an amazing community. In times of crisis, we always seem to rise to the occasion," she said. "And so I think we could identify that everybody knew somebody who was affected by the shutdown and/or the SNAP benefits. So it was very heartwarming and, frankly, humbling. The amount of donations that poured in our door. In seven days, we raised over $10,000, and the food was just pouring in."
But while crises grab attention, the need continues well beyond headlines.
“In times of crisis, we all rise to that occasion, but we don't always realize that there's food insecurity happening in our community every single day,” Goddard said. “We just have to remember that this is happening every single day, and that we love donations year-round, not just in times of crisis.”
The group serves more than 3,000 people each year in Kansas City. Beyond food, the need for other basics is growing.
“We have noticed a huge uptick in the need for clothing and extra supplies, like food,” she said.
With the holidays approaching, FosterAdopt Connect is also working to fulfill wish lists for children in foster care.
“We have a lot of families, about 1,400 who have signed up for our Give Joy program, and they get matched with a person," Goddard said. "We have about 400 unmatched children right now, so that opportunity exists until Dec. 6."
Missouri ranks one of the highest in the nation for the number of children in foster care, but is near the bottom in caregiver support.
“We rank 48th out of 50 in the amount of the stipend that foster parents receive for caring for children that are not their own," Goddard said. "And so it's disproportionate to the amount of children that are actually in the foster care system in Missouri, which is … fifth in the nation."
For her, the lesson from this month’s donations is clear.
“It's just a constant reminder that there's very small ways that you can help, and a little bit of everybody doing a little, we can do a lot," Goddard said.
FosterAdopt Connect says support from the public can carry foster families through the holidays and into the new year.
You can help by following this link to donate.
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