With a huge increase in demand for food assistance due to the uncertainty around the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, a new online tool from the United Way of Greater Cleveland aims to streamline and help with specific needs.
The ongoing federal government shutdown held up SNAP recipients from getting their monthly benefits in November. While a federal court ordered the Trump administration to fulfill those SNAP payments this month, families are still unsure if, or when, that will happen, forcing many of them to look for help elsewhere.
The United Way of Greater Cleveland, which serves Cuyahoga and Geauga Counties, says food related calls to its 211 crisis hotline have more than tripled, as of Friday afternoon.
A new online food resource finder, enabled with artificial intelligence, is intended to connect people to food pantries and hot meal programs more efficiently.
“Typically, the number one reason people call us is housing and at this moment, that has dropped down," said Jenn Kons, the United Way of Greater Cleveland’s vice president of community impact. "So, it's usually housing, then utilities, then food. Food is now the number one reason that people are contacting us.”
Kons said the resource finder will navigate users through specific needs, such as transportation issues or dietary restrictions.
“If you need a kosher meal or a halal meal and any other restrictions,” Kons said. “You don't have access to transportation and that's going to help you sort through and find the resource that's going to work for you.”
The online resource finder can be found at 211oh.org.
The United Way is also trying to hire more temporary staff at the crisis center to meet increased demand of its services.
Leonard Killings, a volunteer at a food pantry in Cleveland’s Lee-Miles neighborhood, said most of the families the food pantry served Wednesday were referred by 211.
On Wednesday, The Lee-Miles Hunger Center served the most families it served all year in a single day.
“Even with the benefits in place, it's still difficult for families to feed their children,” Killings said. “When you take the SNAP away, it increases that by sometimes three and four fold.
About 190,000 Cuyahoga County residents and 2,500 Geauga County residents are SNAP recipients.
