🌕 Pagan Solidarity Call to Action

With the ongoing government shutdown, it’s looking increasingly likely that SNAP (food stamp) benefits may stop next month.

As this unfolds, many of us are seeing a lot of “advice” circulating that—while well-meaning—misses the mark. Let’s ground our response in empathy, community, and solidarity. Here’s how we can actually help ⤵️

🥫 1. Don’t tell people on SNAP to “just go to food banks.”
Most already do. Food banks are essential but limited—how often one can go, how much one can get—and they cannot replace an entire month of groceries. They’re already stretched thin.

💸 2. Skip the “budget hacks” and “cheap meal” tips.
People on SNAP already know how to make a dollar stretch because they’ve had to. The average benefit is about $5 per person per day—often less. You can’t budget your way out of nothing.

👩‍🌾 3. Remember that most SNAP recipients already work.
Many hold full-time jobs, care for family members, or live with disabilities. The fraud rate is under 2%. The stereotype that people on assistance are “lazy” is both false and cruel.

🛒 4. Don’t point people to cheaper stores.
Folks know about Aldi, Dollar Tree, and similar places. But many live in food deserts where those options simply don’t exist—or can’t get there due to lack of transportation.

🎃 5. Please don’t use Halloween to make a point.
Handing out ramen instead of candy isn’t clever—it’s cruel. A 30¢ packet won’t solve hunger, and children deserve sweetness and joy just like anyone else.

🌾 6. What we can do, as a community of care:

✨ Donate money (not food) to your local food banks—they can stretch funds and buy what’s truly needed.
✨ Support mutual aid networks in your area. Many are already bridging gaps for those in crisis.
✨ Share garden harvests, pantry items, or meals quietly with neighbors or community fridges. Kindness first, no shame attached.
✨ Offer rides to grocery stores, food pantries, or medical appointments if you’re able. Transportation is a major barrier for many.
✨ Advocate. Contact your representatives and urge them to fund SNAP and emergency food programs immediately.
✨ Check in on those around you—especially elders, parents, and disabled friends. Hunger is often invisible.

🍞 This is what solidarity looks like.
When systems fail, communities rise. Let’s embody the Pagan principles of hospitality, reciprocity, and care.

⚖️ Hunger is not a moral failing—it’s a failure of policy and compassion. Together, we can be the remedy.

🌾 Pagan Solidarity Network: Mutual Aid and Food Security Resources
As food insecurity rises and SNAP benefits may be disrupted by the government shutdown, here are reliable places to seek or offer help. Mutual aid is a sacred act of reciprocity — community care made real.

✅ National Resources

• Feeding America
  One of the largest hunger-relief networks in the U.S., partnering with food banks and community programs nationwide.
  Website: feedingamerica.org
• USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
  The federal office that manages SNAP, WIC, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
  Website: fns.usda.gov
• Mutual Aid Hub
  A national directory of local mutual aid groups, projects, and volunteer efforts across the country.
  Website: mutualaidhub.org
• DSA Mutual Aid Working Group
  Provides education, toolkits, and support for building mutual aid networks and community resilience.
  Website: dsausa.org
• Sustainable Economies Law Center
  Offers a Mutual Aid Legal Toolkit and guides for building long-term, community-based support systems.
  Website: theselc.org
• National Hunger Hotline
  For anyone who needs immediate help locating food assistance. Operated by USDA.
  Phone: 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6473)
  Website: usa.gov/emergency-food-assistance

🌱 Ohio and Regional Resources

• Nourish Our Neighbors (Dayton, OH)
  Grassroots mutual aid supporting unhoused and low-income neighbors with food, supplies, and dignity.
  Website: nourishourneighbors.net
• Mutual Aid Southeast Ohio
  Community-based volunteers offering rides, food, and peer support throughout southeast Ohio.
  Website: facebook.com/groups/mutualaidseohio
• Triiibe Foundation / Cincy Food Not Bombs (Cincinnati, OH)
  Community projects offering free meals, hygiene kits, and outreach rooted in solidarity, not charity.
  Website: triiibefoundation.org and search “Cincy Food Not Bombs”
• Mutual Aid Carrd Directory
  A state-by-state listing of grassroots mutual aid groups across the U.S., including several in Ohio.
  Website: mutualaid.carrd.co

🌕 Ways to Engage

• Share these networks in your covens, groves, and community spaces.
• Offer time, money, or transportation — not just food donations.
• Start local sharing circles where gaps exist.
• Remember: every act of generosity is sacred work.

Blessed 🐝,

Rev. Jim Sayers

PaganSolidarity #MutualAid #CommunityCare