Times are extremely tough at the moment, with everything going on in the world. Inflation is hitting hard, and the market is heading towards what may be a crash. This means that food is becoming scarce for many Americans, which is unacceptable.
American Hope Resources is an organization dedicated to helping impacted Americans struggling to make ends meet. American Hope Resources believes that every American deserves to put food on their table, and we agree wholeheartedly.
We believe in the cause so much, we asked American Hope Resources for some pro-tips on finding Food Pantries and obtaining food when money is a huge restriction. Here are some of the tips they gave us.
Google Maps
American Hope Resources says the very first thing anyone should do is head to Google and search for “Food Pantries near me.” Click the Maps section and see what you find around you and in your city.
Keep in mind that Google Maps isn’t perfect, and there are many results that will not be open or may not even exist at all. You can use street imagery and your best judgment to determine whether a Food Pantry is open and still exists, so you don’t waste a trip heading to a closed pantry.
Use google to do extra research, as well, maybe find a local forum or Facebook page.
Social Media
As we mentioned above, American Hope Resources also recommends using Social Media to find food pantries in your city. This is extremely useful because you will get tips from other real people who have recently experienced the same issues you are.
American Hope Resources recommends looking for Facebook Groups and Reddit subreddits for your city. Even if the pages are not specifically for Food Pantries, you can still ask your questions, and more than likely, people will flock to help.
Feeding America & FoodPantries.Org
There are many places where you could pick up free food in an emergency. Feeding America and FoodPantries.org are two of the best sites for locating nearby food pantries in your area. Each site has locators where you enter your state, city, and/or area code, and it shows you open and existing food pantries.
Like Google, you cannot be 100% sure that every food pantry you find will be open and active, but these sites will give you a starting place.
Churches
You may notice through your research that a lot of food pantries are actually created and maintained by Churches and religious organizations. Whether you are religious or not doesn’t matter, as these groups are more than happy to help out everyone in need.
American Hope Resources recommends heading to a church and asking the ministers if they have any information on food pantries nearby. They may even be able to help out with more than food.
Eat Extremely Cheap
Finally, American Hope Resources shared some tips on eating on a very tight budget. We understand that many people can’t even afford to spend $50 per month on their food, but if you can, then here’s how you do it.
Rice and beans! A 5 Lb bag of rice is about $2.50 and will last you at least a week. A can of beans is about 80 cents.
It’s very easy to make a nice tasty dish of rice and beans with one cup of rice and a can of beans, which will last you the entire day if you’re frugal. The math will add up to a little over a dollar a day, which is less than $50 a month.
