Arborway's Response to SNAP Loss

This morning, as you read this the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits (SNAP) did not arrive for thousands of Bostonians. This program helps lower-income families put food on their tables. You may not realize it, but you have neighbors who are panicking today because they don’t know how they’re going to feed their families this month.

Much of this situation is political, and I don’t think it’s right to use hunger as a political maneuver. By God’s grace, a judge has ruled that the Trump Administration must dip into SNAP reserves and pay some of November’s benefits. No one knows exactly how this will play out, but the entire SNAP emergency fund does not have enough money to cover all benefits for the month. I think this is an amazing opportunity for the church to step in and be the hands and feet of Christ, and I know you think the same...

Because, over the past week, I’ve received numerous texts and emails. Some were from people worried about losing their benefits, and others from Arborway members asking what we can do to help. The elders have taken this situation seriously and prayerfully considered how Arborway can respond.

So, we have a plan. It’s bold, crazy, audacious, and God-sized, and it won’t happen without your help.
 
We are opening a pop-up food pantry in our church building.

This week I spoke with John Ames, the head of Send Relief in Boston to see how we could partner to help Boston families. If you don't know, Send Relief is the organization we’ve partnered with for refugee care.
 

• Send Relief will supply us with pallets of food to distribute and a grant to assist with startup costs.
• We will provide the space, volunteers, and logistics to make it all work.
• Our goal is to serve 100 families each week, and it will run for 2-4 weeks. After that we will assess the continued need.

 
We don’t yet have all the details nailed down, but we could be up and running as soon as next Saturday. If you’d like to be a part, please sign up below, and I’ll keep you updated as we put the plan together.
 
Isn’t the church amazing? Thousands of churches across the U.S. have pooled their resources to help launch a food pantry in JP during this time of great need. I’m so proud of our church and the place God has us in. We have an incredible opportunity to show the love of Jesus to hundreds of our neighbors.
 
Will you help?