SNAP is back.
Hunger is still here.

Help Philly families recover from weeks without benefits and from a long-term rise in food insecurity.

THIS IS STILL URGENT

During the SNAP gap, demand at our Hunting Park Market jumped by 50% in a single week. The neighbors who found us then are still coming — and they’re bringing friends and family who also need help.

Give now to provide for our neighbors
Volunteer at a Market

In October, SNAP benefits were halted during the federal government shutdown, leaving nearly two million Pennsylvanians without their regular food assistance for weeks.

Thanks to a federal court ruling and swift action from state leaders, full November SNAP benefits are being paid again, and roughly $100 million in food assistance is being loaded back onto EBT cards this month.

That’s good news. But the shutdown showed how fragile the safety net is. Families who went without benefits had to empty savings, lean on credit, and visit food banks for the first time. Even with SNAP turned back on, demand at our markets is greater than ever.

WHY THE NEED IS STILL SO HIGH

  1. In the Philabundance service area, more than 600,000 people were food-insecure in 2022 — a 40% jump over the last two years.

  2. Statewide, over 1.5 million Pennsylvanians, including more than 436,000 children, experience hunger.

  3. In Philadelphia, 1 in 7 neighbors — and nearly 1 in 3 children — face food insecurity.

Together, these numbers tell the story: SNAP is essential, but it isn’t enough.

How is Small Things Responding?

When SNAP is disrupted — or simply doesn’t stretch far enough — neighbors turn to us. During the SNAP gap, hundreds of new families came to our markets for the very first time. Now, even with benefits restored, high food prices and months of financial strain mean those families still need support.

Small Things is committed to being there in the crisis and in the long recovery that follows. Your gift helps us:

  • Keep markets stocked. We purchase fresh produce, dairy, protein, and pantry staples when donations don’t cover the need.

  • Stay open when it matters most. We staff our Roxborough warehouse and neighborhood markets so we can add hours or extra days when lines grow.

  • Respond fast to future disruptions. When federal benefits are delayed or cut again, we can quickly move food, open doors, and say “yes” to more families.

  • Offer dignity and choice. At our choice-style markets, neighbors can select foods that fit their culture, health needs, and household — not just take whatever is handed to them.

How does your gift help us?

Your generosity does more than fill a cart with groceries. It:

  • Bridges the gap SNAP can’t cover. Even in “normal” months, many families’ benefits run out long before the month does. Your support fills that gap with real food on real tables.

  • Prevents impossible choices. Every stocked shelf is a parent who doesn’t have to choose between paying the electric bill and buying groceries.

  • Strengthens the safety net. When the next shutdown, funding cut, or economic shock hits, your gift means Small Things is ready — with food on hand, trucks loaded, and markets open.

Every dollar you give is stretched through bulk purchasing and partnerships so we can get the most food to the most neighbors, as efficiently and respectfully as possible.

Other ways to help:

1. Host a food drive

Set up a box at your workplace, school, church, community group, or apartment building where people can drop off non-perishable, high-quality items (rice, pasta, beans, canned proteins, shelf-stable milk, etc.).

Small Things will send you a sign to post on the box, explaining where the food will go and how it helps neighbors who are still recovering from the SNAP gap.

When it’s ready, drop off the box at our Roxborough warehouse, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am–3:00 pm. For details, email Barb Delp. 

2. Volunteer

Volunteers are the engine of our work. We’re still experiencing a volunteer shortage, especially in our markets, even as more families arrive each week. Sign up to help sort produce, stock shelves, and walk with shoppers as they choose their groceries. Sign up here!

3. Join Small Things Add Up!

Become a monthly donor. Steady gifts give us the financial stability we need to:

  • keep our markets reliably stocked,

  • respond quickly to SNAP disruptions and other crises, and

  • offer competitive wages to the team members who make this work possible.

When you join Small Things Add Up, you’re saying: even when the headlines move on, neighbors shouldn’t go hungry. 
Sign up for our Add Up Campaign here.

Together, we can make a difference and ensure our neighbors won’t go hungry.