The United States Department of Agriculture has confirmed in a new announcement that the 42 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will go without their benefits beginning November 1.
The cancellation of benefits is reportedly due to the federal government shutdown.
SNAP is a nationwide program that provides monthly financial assistance to low-income families so that they can access healthy food.
Millions will be impacted by the loss of their benefits, as will the economy at large, as grocery stores lose revenue from SNAP programming and already overwhelmed food banks work to support a larger influx of clients.
Fortunately, those with the means to help are helping.
Sharon McMahon, an Instagram creator, author, and educator, often dubbed “America’s Government Teacher,” spends most of her time online speaking about current events to her over a million followers.
But over the years, she and her online community (called “Governerds”) have found a sweet spot for fundraising.
In addition to clearing millions of dollars in medical debt and providing millions of dollars in grant funding to teachers, the group raised a total of $646,541 for Feeding America and other food banks across the country.
“Over the weekend, this community raised $646,541 for food banks across the country,” McMahon wrote in an Instagram post. “That is more than six million meals. Sill million acts of quiet mercy. Six million children who won’t go to bed hungry.”
The fundraiser was conducted like many of McMahon’s often are: People sending a couple of dollars to her Venmo and PayPal accounts, with McMahon amplifying the efforts on her platform.
Originally, the goal was to raise $100,000 to provide one million meals. But then, the community rallied.
McMahon also brought in some matching donors this time around, securing more than $240,000 in matching funds, on top of the hundreds of thousands raised by her community.
The effort was small but mighty, with no savvy fundraising campaign or large-scale nonprofit marketing team — just McMahon, her followers, and a desire to help.
“No politicians did that,” she added in her post. “There are no viral videos. No figure claimed ‘I alone can fix it’ or rode in on a white horse.”
The funds, it seems, will go to Feeding America.
McMahon also noted in her Instagram Stories that the matching funds would support Second Harvest Heartland in the Twin Cities, as well as some food banks and organizations in Houston, Texas, Logan, Utah, Provo, Utah, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, North Texas, and Fort Worth, Texas.
Commenters commended the effort and celebrated the collective generosity on display.
“Thank you for leading the charge with this and giving us a constructive way to [feel] helpful rather than hopeless,” one person wrote.
“I love how I jumped in after a handful of [Instagram Story] slides last night and by the end, it was, like, fulfilled entirely,” another person wrote. “Way to show up, Governerds. Also, I know WE did that, but Sharon, YOU did that with your community. I love it here.”
McMahon concluded her post announcing the total donation by reminding people to bookmark the news for the next time they need a boost.
“For the next time you feel like nothing you do matters. For the day you feel all hope is lost,” she wrote in the caption.
“Hope still has helpers. That’s you.”
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Header images courtesy of Sharon McMahon/Instagram
