“You Give Them Something to Eat”: When SNAP Stops, the Church Steps Up

As millions face food insecurity amid a nationwide SNAP pause, Jesus’ words remind us that the Church is called to feed both body and soul.

If you haven’t been following the news lately, here’s what’s happening:
Because of the ongoing government shutdown, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—what most people still call food stamps—is about to run out of funding. The USDA has announced that unless Congress acts soon, no new benefits will go out on November 1.

That means roughly 42 million Americans—including millions of children, single moms, and elderly neighbors—could lose help buying groceries next week.

For most of us, grocery shopping is something we plan around our schedule or budget. We might have to stretch a little, skip a brand name, or eat leftovers a few extra nights. But for families on SNAP, there’s no cushion. These are people already doing everything they can to make ends meet—working long hours, caring for kids, keeping the lights on—and still not earning enough to keep food on the table.

Many are seniors on fixed incomes choosing between medicine and meals. Others are single parents quietly skipping their own dinner so their kids can eat. Most aren’t asking for a handout—they’re doing their best, and SNAP is what helps bridge the gap between barely getting by and going hungry.

When that bridge collapses, the need doesn’t disappear. It just lands on real people—people God loves and has called us to see.

What God’s People Have Always Done

From the very beginning, God tied worship to justice.
When God established Israel’s laws, He didn’t just organize a religious system—He shaped a society. Built into that society were practical protections for the poor and hungry: farmers were commanded to leave the edges of their fields unharvested so the poor could glean (Leviticus 19:9–10). Every seventh year, debts were forgiven. Every fiftieth year, land was restored. Even the tithe was partially set aside for orphans, widows, and foreigners.

These weren’t random acts of charity. They were laws—woven into the very fabric of what it meant to live as God’s people. God viewed care for the poor not as an optional virtue for the few but as a moral responsibility for all of society. Neglecting the poor wasn’t simply unkind; it was unjust and unfaithful.

The prophets kept reminding Israel of this. Isaiah thundered that true fasting meant sharing your bread with the hungry. Amos condemned those who trampled the poor while maintaining religious rituals. Over and over, God made clear that how His people treated the vulnerable revealed what they truly believed about Him.

In the New Testament, that same moral vision didn’t disappear—it shifted into the hands of the Church. When the early believers found themselves under a Roman system that offered little care for the poor, they didn’t complain about what wasn’t being done. They became the system. They shared meals. They redistributed resources. When famine struck, believers in other regions sent aid. The moral vision of God’s kingdom continued, not through government mandate, but through Spirit-led generosity and community care.

This is the pattern we’re invited to follow. Whether or not the structures around us uphold justice, the Church is still called to reflect the heart of a just and generous God. When earthly systems fail, kingdom people fill the gap.

So What Do We Do Now?

When millions of families face an empty fridge, the Church can’t shrug and say, “That’s not our department.”
We’re the ones called to show that God still sees, still cares, and still provides—often through us.

Now is the time to give generously and serve faithfully.
Here are practical ways your church can step in:

• Support Local Food Banks
  Food banks will soon be overwhelmed by increased need. Donate funds, volunteer time, and help organize food drives. This is one of the most tangible ways we can stand in the gap for families who rely on SNAP.
• Provide Grocery Gift Cards
  Purchase grocery store gift cards and distribute them to families in your congregation and community who would normally receive SNAP benefits. Gift cards allow families to choose what they need most—fresh food, diapers, or essentials—while preserving dignity and flexibility.
• Direct Benevolence Funds Toward Food Insecurity
  If your church already has a benevolence or compassion fund, allocate part of it for emergency food assistance. If not, take up a special offering this month. Even small gifts add up quickly when a congregation acts together.
• Be Personally Present
  Deliver food in person. Share meals with neighbors. Check in on single parents, seniors, and those living paycheck to paycheck. This isn’t just about groceries—it’s about presence, hope, and reminding people that they are not forgotten.
• Use Your Voice
  While our role is relational and compassionate, advocacy matters too. Contact local leaders and lawmakers. Encourage them to protect programs that keep families fed. Hunger isn’t a partisan issue—it’s a people issue.

A Moment Made for Us

The truth is, this isn’t the first time the safety net has torn. It won’t be the last. But every time it does, the Church has a decision to make:
Will we wait for someone else to fix it—or will we live like Jesus meant what He said?

When systems fail, the Church has a chance to show that love hasn’t.

So let’s be ready. Let’s pay attention. Let’s fill the gap with presence, generosity, and hope. Because this is the kind of moment the Church was made for.

“You give them something to eat.” — Luke 9:13

More in This Vein

• Shalom and Justice — Love Made Public
  A Wesleyan-Holiness reflection on peace and justice as love lived out in public life.
• Before Justice Was a Buzzword: Emma J. Ray and the Free Methodist Call to the Margins
  A historical look at how early Free Methodists embodied justice and mercy for the oppressed.
• When Children Are Dragged Naked from Their Beds: Chicago’s Immigration Crackdown and the Imago Dei
  Confronting the image of God in the vulnerable and what it demands of the Church.
• The Danger of Dispensationalism: When Theology Fuels War Instead of Peace
  A call for theology that leads to peace and faithful presence rather than fear and division.