ATLANTA – If your SNAP benefits aren’t reloaded in November because of the federal government shutdown, there are places in North Georgia already preparing to help, even if this is your first time asking for help. 

These organizations support families with groceries, emergency food boxes, baby supplies, and in some cases, housing or utility aid. 

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What you can do:

Metro Atlanta (Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton)

Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) — serves families in 29 counties
• Helps with: emergency food pantries, mobile markets, partner churches and community drop-off sites
• How to find food right now: https://www.acfb.org/need-help
• SNAP help is also available — they have staff who help with re-enrollment if benefits stop.

Hosea Helps (Atlanta & Southside) — emergency food, hot meals, seniors, crisis support
• Helps with: prepared meals, food boxes, seniors, single parents, urgent survival needs
• Contact / get help: https://4hosea.org/get-help

HOPE Atlanta — crisis housing + hunger relief, formerly Action Ministries
• Helps with: food, meal assistance, hotel/shelter placement, family stability services
• Get help here: https://hopeatlanta.org/get-help

Salvation Army Metro Atlanta
• Helps with: food pantries, emergency assistance, utility aid, temporary shelter
• Find your local service center: https://salvationarmyatlanta.org/gethelp

North Fulton, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Hall, and Cherokee counties

North Fulton Community Charities (Roswell / Alpharetta)
• Helps with: food pantry, diapers, rent/utility support for North Fulton residents
• Request assistance: https://nfcchelp.org/get-help

The Place of Forsyth
• Helps with: food market, rent help, senior services, crisis support
• Assistance info: https://www.theplaceofforsyth.org/get-help

Meals by Grace (Forsyth & Dawson)
• Helps with: FREE grocery delivery for families without transportation
• Sign up or request food: https://mealsbygrace.org/need-help

Georgia Mountain Food Bank (Hall + North Georgia counties)
• Helps with: partner food pantries and drive-through distributions
• Find help near you: https://www.gamountainfoodbank.org/find-help

Henry, Fayette, Coweta, Rockdale, and Douglas counties

Real Life Center (Peachtree City / Fayette County)
• Helps with: weekly food market, hygiene supplies, long-term stabilization programs
• Help details: https://reallifecenter.org/assistance

Helping In His Name Ministries (Henry County)
• Helps with: groceries for Henry County residents, no income required — must show ID
• Assistance info: https://www.hihn.org/need-help

One Roof Ecumenical Alliance Outreach (Coweta County)
• Helps with: groceries, emergency housing referrals, clothing
• Start here: https://oneroofoutreach.org/need-help

Rockdale Emergency Relief (Conyers / Rockdale County)
• Helps with: food, hygiene, and emergency utility assistance
• Get help: https://rockdaleemergencyrelief.org/programs

Athens and surrounding areas

Food Bank of Northeast Georgia (Athens & Clayton)
• Helps with: local food pantries, mobile food drop-offs, SNAP assistance
• Find help: https://foodbanknega.org/get-help

Columbus and West Georgia

Feeding The Valley Food Bank (Columbus + rural West Georgia counties)
• Helps with: partner churches & food pantries that serve families directly
• Find food now: https://www.feedingthevalley.org/find-food

Other resources

United Way 211 — call 2-1-1 or visit https://www.211.org
• Live operators will connect you to your nearest open pantry or emergency assistance program

Women, Infants & Children (WIC) — for pregnant women, babies, and children up to age 5
• Eligibility + apply: https://dph.georgia.gov/WIC

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Roughly one in eight Georgians rely on SNAP to help them put food on the table every month.

This time next week that federal benefit will dry up of the government is not funded.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank serves 29 counties in Northeast Georgia.

Now more than ever, the food stocking their shelves is needed by their 700 partner food pantries.

“Our worry right now is that we’re already responding to record levels of need in our community today pre-federal government shutdown,” Jon West, Vice President of Partner Relations at the Atlanta Community Food Bank, said.

West said Atlanta Community Food Bank is serving 70% more people than they were three years ago; if the federal government doesn’t reopen there will be an even greater need, but the cost of SNAP is too high to shoulder even as a stopgap.

“Here in Georgia that equates to about $250 million every month and that’s about the value of the food we might distribute in a whole year so being able to fill that gap is just something that food banks aren’t built for,” West said.”

If SNAP remains unfunded, it’s another hoop the Atlanta Community Food Bank will have to jump through because of decisions made in Washington D.C.

“Product we had been counting on to fill out our warehouse this year wasn’t available,” West said.

Earlier this year around $10 million of food did not arrive due to a half a billion dollar project cut by the USDA.

West said about 60% of their food inventory is donated and they’re already working on bringing in as much food as they can in anticipation of a SNAP shortfall.

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