United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County’s 2-1-1 Helpline is ready to assist residents in need with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance’s (SNAP) emergency allotments (EAs) now finished. Initially created in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began, these allotments kept an estimated 4.2 million people above the poverty line in late 2021.
United Way’s 2-1-1 Helpline stands ready to help residents fill the financial void left by this by connecting people receiving substantially lower SNAP benefits to local resources.
By selecting option one after calling 2-1-1, call specialists will direct callers to services that offer assistance with challenges related to:
- Access to food, including free food pantries.
- Free baby supplies and free feminine hygiene products
- Utility bill assistance
- Affordable housing and child care programs
- Prescription expense assistance.
- Education and job training programs
- Affordable community health clinics
An anonymous caller into the 2-1-1 Helpline recently said, “a lot of people out here are struggling for real,” they said. “The economy is ridiculous now. $100 in the store, that doesn’t mean nothing no more.”
Every household receiving the SNAP EAs will see a benefit cut of at least $95 less per month and some households will be hit by reductions of $250 or more per month.
The end of the emergency allotment program will increase food hardship for countless individuals and families in San Antonio. Combined with the lower amount of benefits and recent inflation in food prices, this decrease in SNAP benefits comes at a difficult time.
United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County encourages everyone impacted by this reduction in SNAP benefits to call the 2-1-1 Helpline today to discover resources that can fill the gap left by this change. The 2-1-1 Helpline uses a comprehensive database of services available in San Antonio and is open 24/7/365. It is always completely free to use. Spanish language and line language translation options are available as well.
