Hawaii is facing another hunger emergency. That’s because more than 90,000 households are just now experiencing a major reduction in their access to food with the end of a COVID-19 pandemic-era boost to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. These families are on the edge of a “hunger cliff,” and it’s imperative that we as a community come together to catch them.
To help Hawaii families and communities impacted by COVID-19, Congress implemented the temporary emergency increase to SNAP benefits in March 2020. The increase was renewed each month since then but finally came to a close as official pandemic emergency declarations ended. The final emergency allotment was distributed to Hawaii households on March 14.
Nearly half of SNAP beneficiaries are working households. Families receiving these benefits are losing at least $95 per month, and some SNAP participants, such as seniors who live alone and are on fixed incomes, will see their benefits decrease from $281 to just $23 a month. One in six people in Hawaii already struggles with hunger. These are our neighbors, our friends, our families, our keiki and our kupuna. That number is certain to grow with the end of the emergency allotment program and record-high food prices.
We only have to look to other states that ended the emergency boost in benefits earlier to see what the impact will be here. In these states, food banks have experienced a 30% increase in need or more. In many communities, the need is as high as it was during the height of the pandemic. And yet, because we don’t see the long lines for mass food distributions like we did at the beginning of the pandemic, many assume that the hunger crisis is over. In fact, it is about to get worse, and the food banks and our network of agency partners are bracing for the impact.
On top of this, food prices are higher than they’ve ever been. In Hawaii, we’ve seen an eye-popping 25% increase in the cost of groceries over the past three years — and we were already considered the most expensive place to live in the country.
For those who face food insecurity, the combination of reduced benefits and increased prices is simply untenable. Parents may skip meals to ensure they can remain in their homes. Kupuna may delay filling prescriptions because, otherwise, they can’t afford to eat. Families may be forced to provide less nutritious, cheaper foods for their keiki, which we know negatively impacts their academic performance, focus and long-term health.
We believe that consistent access to safe and healthy food is a fundamental human right, and Hawaii’s food banks are gearing up for the increased demand. However, higher food costs and reduced funding affect us, as well. We need the community’s support to ensure that we can meet this increased need.
While food donations are always welcome, financial donations go much further as food banks are able to purchase food in bulk at discounted rates. For example, it might cost a consumer $5 to purchase two cans of tuna at the grocery store. With that same $5 donation, the food bank can purchase roughly 15 cans of tuna. We can also use donations to purchase fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy — items we know our neighbors need and may not be able to afford.
As the emergency SNAP benefits come to an end and our neighbors need more assistance, please consider supporting and donating to your local food banks. Starting in April and beyond, we are going to need the support.
Amy Miller Marvin is with the Hawaii Foodbank; Kristin Frost Albrecht is with The Food Basket Inc., Hawaii island’s Food Bank; Richard Yust is with Maui Food Bank.
