On Nov. 1, participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) did not receive the monthly benefits they could normally expect. The federal government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, has caused funding for the program to run out, and the Trump administration has refused to pass emergency funding orders despite court rulings.
In 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that 41.7 million people received SNAP benefits each month. Without this money, individuals and families across the nation will lose necessary access to food as Congress struggles towards a funding resolution and the Trump administration refuses to feed America. Food shelves across the nation face the monumental task of trying to make up the difference.
In the city of Northfield, the Community Action Center (CAC) reported in an Oct. 30 email that over 4,000 people in Rice County — including 1,700 children — are facing a potential hunger crisis as a result of the delay in benefits. According to Senior Director of the CAC Anika Rychner, SNAP provides over $600,000 a month in benefits to the Rice County community, and the CAC serves approximately one in four individuals in the Northfield community, primarily for food assistance. Not all of the people served by the CAC receive SNAP benefits for a variety of reasons; however, there is also a large percentage of people who do receive SNAP benefits and do not access community resources.
In light of cuts to SNAP, these people in particular have been placed in a difficult position. “People are having to make really tough decisions about whether or not they’re going to access a food shelf, and that can be really scary. There’s tons of stigma in that,” Rychner said.
Rychner added that so many people are just one unexpected cost away from a crisis, and cuts to SNAP represent a significant increased cost in their lives. [JUMP] People are having to face difficult decisions about how to feed their families and how to reallocate their budgets to make up for the difference. This could lead to shortfalls in rent or utility bills, especially as the start of the Minnesota winter drives up heating costs.
Since delays to SNAP were announced, the ordering team at the CAC has been looking at ways to increase its inventory in order to meet expected increases in demand. Rice County approved $50,000 to help food banks such as the CAC purchase food. They also expect to receive some amount of funding from the $4 million that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz approved to be divided between the over 300 food banks across the state.
Still, food shelves like the CAC are facing difficult times. According to Rychner, even before the changes to SNAP, they had been facing a combination of surging food costs and increases in demand. For every meal that the CAC provides, SNAP benefits cover nine, and without these funds, food shelves are expected to fill the gap.
Rychner says that other shelves have discussed inventory control measures such as limiting the number of items individuals can take. For the CAC, however, this behavior conflicts with their core values. “Now, more than ever, people need us. How do we rise to that occasion instead of buckling down and making decisions from a place of scarcity?” Rychner said.
As of Nov. 6, the CAC had not experienced a significant surge in demand. Rychner said the moment feels akin to the COVID-19 pandemic, in which it took some time before financial strains caused people to access food shelves. The CAC has been experiencing an increase in calls from people in the community inquiring about how to access the food shelf and how the process works.
As for community support, Rychner said that any kind of effort is appreciated. She explained, “Whether you choose to support CAC, or you choose to volunteer, or you choose to provide free meals as a business owner, it all makes a difference.” The CAC has a buying power of six to one, where for every $6 an individual spends at the grocery store, the CAC only spends $1 on the same amount.
Erica Zweifel, the Assistant Director for Community Impact at the Carleton Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE), said, “We’re well resourced and we’ve figured out how to best use those resources to support our community partners.”
Students have been working to plan fundraisers supporting the CAC, including the Mortar Board’s bake sale and the CCCE’s Supersale, which raised $213. Students are also engaging in volunteer efforts, such as packing excess dining hall food through the Food Recovery Program and staffing community food shelves.
At CSA’s weekly meeting on Monday, Nov. 10, two CCCE Fellows for the Food and Environmental Justice Cohort, Grace Clemen ’28 and Moriah Reusch ’27, proposed a resolution in support of the CAC. The resolution passed unanimously and will provide a donation of $2,500 of CSA’s discretionary funds to support the CAC. The CAC’s purchasing power will allow the money to feed about 75 people.
“Carleton is a position of profound privilege, and its core values are to give back to the community and try to make the world a better place. It seems like there’s not a lot of places within Carleton to actually make that happen, so this was a very cool place where we are actually able to do that,” Clemen said.
The CSA also collaborated with St. Olaf’s student government on a Tin Tea fundraiser and a food drive, as well as the “Skip-a-Swipe’ program in which students can donate the funds from one of their meal swipes to the Northfield CAC.
Across the community, Rychner highlighted the emotional impact of food insecurity.
“Not having food is a trauma. Just the fear of not knowing if you’re going to be able to feed your family or your children is significant. We’re all trying to have extra grace and patience for each other right now, and showing that kind of solidarity and care for our neighbors is so important,” she said.
