Pastor Jamal Bryant To Collect Food Donations Amid SNAP Freeze
As Georgians face the possibility of not having SNAP benefits next month amid the government shutdown, Pastor Jamal Bryant is doing his part to help ease the stress.
During his sermon on Sunday (October 26), Bryant asked the congregation at New Birth Church to bring in canned food donations instead of monetary offerings every Sunday in November. As reported by The Grio, the donations will allow the church’s King’s Table initiative to provide free groceries to those in need.
“We have a responsibility,” he said. “Our history is going to record that this president is the very first president in American history to starve his own citizens. On November 1st, SNAP benefits are cut in this country, impacting 42 million Americans. That is, ladies and gentlemen, one out of every seven people. One out of every seven people in this room is on food assistance. One out of seven who are watching online are on food assistance.”
In addition to the food donations, the church will use funds raised during its other initiatives, including morning prayer and group therapy, for the King’s Table.
1.4 million Georgians are at risk of losing SNAP benefits in November, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. State officials say that families can still use the funds already on EBT cards for now. However, those cards may stop working by November 1 if the shutdown continues.
More from Bryant’s sermon:
“Knowing that since March, 300,000 Black women have lost their jobs, knowing that this is the highest unemployment rate for Black people in over 15 years. Knowing that government workers and government contractors have been furloughed and have not received a check, even while senators and congresspeople are receiving theirs. Knowing that 43 million people are not receiving food benefits. The Holy Spirit arrested me in prayer. I didn’t feel in good kind conscience or in good faith, or in good faith, that it would be appropriate today for me to do an over and above offering. I didn’t feel like it would be right to ask people to march down with $5,000, $2,000, $3,000 or $1,000, when people don’t know how they’re going to pay their rent. They don’t know how they’re going to take care of their kids, don’t know how it is that they gonna eat.”
Beyond his initiative, Bryant also shared other resources, including findhelp.org, whyhunger.org/find-food, 1-800-5-HUNGRY, which help people find local support based on their zip code.
Pastor Jamal Bryant To Collect Food Donations Amid SNAP Freeze was originally published on mypraiseatl.com
