When GMHC’s senior management team saw that the government shutdown would cut off SNAP benefits to over 1,000 clients on Nov. 1, the agency quickly responded to keep them fed.
“The bulk of our clients receive SNAP benefits. That’s across GMHC programs,” said GMHC’s Managing Director of Specialty Programs Olivia Gaillard. “As soon as we saw this coming, we jumped into action immediately, preparing emergency pantry bags for all clients and expanding our regular pantry and lunch service operations.”
Food is literally healthcare for people living with HIV. Over 1,225 GMHC clients didn’t receive SNAP payments on Nov. 1 – and many were already food insecure. From 85% to 90% of GMHC clients are enrolled in the core Meals & Nutrition program, open to all lower income New Yorkers living with HIV. Through our Monday through Thursday lunch service and Keith Haring Food Pantry, we provide at no cost the filling, nutritious meals they need to absorb HIV medicines and keep their immune systems strong.
When systems fail, GMHC steps in. Our staff volunteered their time in late October to pack the emergency pantry bags for all clients, so they were ready to distribute on Monday, November 3. Each provided a substantial two-week supply of shelf-stable food for clients to pick up twice over November, including pasta, marinara sauce, rice, canned tuna and vegetables, peanut butter, and shelf-stable milk.
To keep all of our clients well fed during the holidays, GMHC also distributed pre-cooked turkeys and take-home side dishes for the last week in November and we will do the same on Dec. 19.
The Meals and Nutrition team was already preparing 800 lunches per week for clients, which the agency increased to 1,000 per week for November, Gaillard said. That could be the only hot meal they get that day. “We’d already seen an increase in clients for our lunch service since we started cooking meals on site last November. With the SNAP cutoff, the number of clients has continued to grow,” she said.
“People are struggling. Food is expensive and the cost keeps going up. Clients we haven’t seen in a while, along with a lot of new members are coming by for lunch. We just welcome them,” Gaillard said. New Yorkers receive about $300 per month in SNAP benefits on average, which can make the difference between eating and going hungry for people at the poverty line.
For roughly 350 food insecure clients enrolled in the Keith Haring Food Pantry, the agency doubled pickups from monthly to biweekly. Pantry clients can select fresh produce, eggs, and dairy items, along with shelf-stable staples, and they’re encouraged to bring a cart to carry their haul.
GMHC is keeping our clients fed during a chaotic time – and helping to ease their anxiety. “Clients are worried. When you’re on a fixed income and receiving SNAP benefits, you can’t plan much for the future,” Gaillard said. “The lack of ability to prepare for something like this is jarring for folks.”
As the SNAP situation stabilizes, Gaillard is looking toward the future. Her aim, especially in this time of increasing food insecurity, is to expand services for Meals and Nutrition clients. “I’d love to be able to serve lunch five days per week and take on more clients in our food pantry,” she said.
In addition to overseeing the Meals and Nutrition program, Gaillard runs the Access to Healthcare, Advocacy, Wellness, and Workforce programs. “I can do it all because we have great teams,” she said.
Gaillard says she’s spent 18 years on staff at GMHC, after starting out as an intern, because of the agency’s ability to respond to this kind of crisis. “For me, it’s the mission – and the help we can provide to the community. It’s a special community of people, and they need the support. GMHC has a longstanding history of getting them where they need to be.”
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