Together at the Table: The Church’s Response to Food Insecurity
Southwest Disciples of Christ individuals and congregations have consistently responded to their neighbors’ food insecurity with tangible expressions of care, support, hospitality, and friendship. Food insecurity is when an individual or family lacks access to consistent, affordable, and nutritious food necessary for a healthy and active life. Food insecurity has increased for many persons affected by the federal government shut-down. The urgency of this issue is about to intensify: November will likely see the suspension of SNAP (Food Stamps) benefits for millions of people living in Texas, New Mexico and the Panhandle of Oklahoma. Currently, roughly 10% of Texans and 21% of New Mexico residents rely on supplemental food assistance; almost half (49%) of Texas SNAP recipients and over a third (36%) of New Mexico recipients are children, while 15% of Texas SNAP participants and 14% of New Mexico participants are elderly.
Food insecurity arises from many intertwined factors such as:
Low wages — 46% of SNAP participants in Texas and 36% in New Mexico live in households with at least one working family member.
Rising Cost of Health Care -- Health insurance premiums are expected to increase next year with the removal ACA subsidies.
Food deserts -- Many people —especially those without reliable transportation—live either more than a mile from a grocery store in urban areas or more than ten miles in rural contexts.
Structural inequities and systemic racism exacerbate food insecurity, particularly for Native Americans in New Mexico.
All of these challenges are further worsened by inflation and the overall rising cost of living.
“Food banks nationwide are being pinched by record demand, high food prices and hundreds of millions of dollars in federal budget cuts.” - KFF Health News
CCSW gently and prayerfully encourages congregations and individuals to consider.
Prepare:
Churches with existing food ministries need to anticipate and actively prepare for increased demand resulting from the suspension of SNAP benefits. This may mean reviewing and reinforcing food pantry policies, clarifying team roles, and adjusting systems to handle the likelihood of larger crowds and increased requests for help.
Connect:
It’s essential for congregations to connect with the wider network of food-based services in their communities. Local food banks welcome both volunteers and donations, but they primarily channel supplies to food pantries and distribution sites—many Disciples congregations already serve in these roles. Churches without direct food ministries should consider partnering financially or by sharing volunteers with sibling congregations or other trusted local ministries. We have prepared three directories to aid congregations to connect to agencies that can assist.
Food Banks. Food Banks can accept volunteers and donations. However, the Food Banks themselves often direct their food stuffs to food pantries or distribution sites--many Disciples congregations serve as Pantries and Food Distribution Sites. We encourage churches that do not currently have food distribution ministries to consider connecting with financial donations, volunteers, or both to their sibling congregations or other local ministries.
Snack Packs for Children and similar programs. Weekend food insecurity represents a profound crisis affecting children across Texas and New Mexico, where the absence of school meal programs creates a critical nutrition gap from Friday afternoon through Monday morning. In Texas, 1 in 4 children lives in a food-insecure household, while New Mexico ranks #2 in the nation for child hunger, with approximately 1 in 3 children experiencing food insecurity. For the more than 1.3 million Texas children and 162,960 New Mexico children who depend on free or reduced-price school meals during the week, weekends become periods of genuine hunger when these vital nutrition programs are unavailable.
University and Community College-based pantries. Food insecurity among college students is a widespread crisis that directly impacts academic success. 38% of two-year college students and 29% of four-year university students experience hunger even with tuition aid.The inability to afford basic needs is the #1 reason cited by community college students for not completing their education.
Remember Disciples based response—Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries; if your Disciples congregation or ministry hosts a food based ministry, we’d love to know about it: Fill out this form
Contribute:
Canned food drives and collections of non-perishable items remain tangible and effective ways to serve. When donating, always ensure that what is given is food you yourself would be willing to eat—donations should uphold dignity and meet basic standards of quality. Also, churches with community gardens or event households with gardens can donate fresh produce at many pantries and distribution sites.
Refer:
Churches are invited to curate up-to-date lists of relevant community services. If possible, keep current with directories of local pantries, meal programs, and support agencies. Even being familiar with digital resources like findhelp.org can make a meaningful difference when referring neighbors to assistance.
Relate:
Above all, churches are called to foster authentic relationships—not just distribute goods. More than service agencies, congregations are expressions of Christ’s Body; face-to-face hospitality, care, accompaniment, and empathy remain as vital as food or other material help. The ministry of relationship is itself a sacred offering in times of increased need.
Faithfully,
Rev. Dr. Andy Mangum
Regional Minister and President