Free Grocery Programs. To manage everyday livelihood, many low-income families find it difficult to deal with grocery expenses. The cost of fruits, veggies, and regular household items is hard to bear. So, families experiencing prolonged economic difficulty or temporary hardship can find some government and non-government organizations providing free groceries for low-income families. This can be a major assistance for families to bridge the gap between food for the family and nutritional values. Let’s check out the list of free governmental programs that provide grants for grocery items regularly.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP is a movement to eliminate the grocery problem for low-income families. When low-income families find it really hard to bear the grocery expenses, SNAP provides an online assistance service for eligible candidates. They are provided with an electronic card to use at grocery stores to buy food. This program is owned and operated by the United States Department of Agriculture and run specifically for poor families only. Learn some basic information about SNAP –
- As already mentioned, SNAP provides beneficiary cards for applicants also known as Electronic Benefit Transfer Card or EBT card to shop food or seeds that can help you to grow food. Other household items like vitamins, minerals, beverages, alcohol cannot be purchased with this card. And, remember EBIT card are not acceptable in every shop.
- SNAP has created special rules for application. Any applicant for the SNAP program should own $2, 250 of countable resources only or not more than $3250 of countable resources if one person of the family is aged or disabled.
- SNAP families must fall below a specific income level, based on family size and meet resources guideline to receive benefits.
- In some states, farmers will match SNAP dollars at the market.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program Women, Infants and Children Food Program
Children and pregnant women are susceptible to nutritional deficiency without an adequate supply of food. The federal government has created special government assistance programs for women, newborn and children, under the guidance of the Department of Agriculture. WIC program is run via local and state health departments. This special aid offers free groceries for low-income families, as well as several other help for women and children only, who suffer from the financial crisis for a long time or faced certain difficulties recently. Let’s give some clear information about the supplemental nutrition program for WIC.
- This program provides foods and commodities to supplement the diet of low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants and children up to the age of five years of age.
- The WIC program is an initiative to provide food and grocery; it also educates families about living healthier. Women and children will come to know about how to improve the nutritious value of the food.
- WIC facility is only available in 50 states. Know how to apply for WIC
- To qualify for the WIC program, the women and children need to fall below a basic income guideline, proof residence signed by the state government, and declared with nutritional risk by the authorized physician. Nutritional risk means, the women have a poor medical history with pregnancy such as anemia, imbalanced diet, insufficient blood and many more. According to WIC, every woman need to fulfill certain specific dietary guideline at the time of pregnancy,
- WIC has many nutritional programs for children and infants. Many local and state organization work under this program and provide free lunches for school children. Sometimes free food is available or discounts too for low-income families who cannot afford their grocery expenses.
Nutrition Services Incentive Program
The federal government started a special food assistance program for the elderly only, which is also known as the Nutrition Program for the Elderly, NPE. Designed under the guidance of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, the program helps all older people and senior citizens who cannot afford their food and livelihood. Basically, NPE is a special program running under the Grants for State and Community Programs on Aging. Let’s give some more idea about the NPE program –
- The NSIP gives help and support for older people in the area. If you are a senior looking for a free nutritional program, then NPE is the one. This program provides support services, information and other aid for several other senior citizen operations.
- NPE provides free groceries for low-income families. Every member of this program can purchase nutritional food items from a local store without paying money.
- Under the NPE program, the group has to provide in-home food, meals for homebound elderly, do visitations, and provide other services for frail elderly people. If there is an NPE centre in the neighborhood, then they provide well-balanced hot and cold meals for at least once a day. This may be a breakfast lunch, dinner to seniors and low-income families for at least five days a week.
- Anyone can ask for “Meals on Wheels” from the sites for homebound elderly and disabled people.
Local Resources
Many local resources have come forward to provide free food and groceries for low-income families. Take for example food banks and non-government non-profit making organization can provide meals and free groceries for low-income families, those who are searching for financial assistance. If you want to help someone with similar conditions, then search for social service agencies to locate sources for temporary assistance.
Emergency Assistance
Natural calamities or disasters urge for emergency assistance for low-income families. At the time of any tornado, earthquake, flood or any such, many families find it difficult to manage with food and other important items for livelihood. Organizations such as the American Red Cross and others come forward to help the needy ones; they provide free groceries for low-income families, food and emergency supplies needed after a natural disaster.
Meeting the regular requirement of food and nutrition is really tough for low-income families. However, there are free financial aid and grants to manage with the expense; grocery takes the maximum part of expenditure that is why the federal and non-government organization make an innovative move to provide free groceries for low-income families. Consult your nearby organizations for better assistance!
