Use These 5 Tools To Find Food Assistance Fast

Has the pandemic left you scrambling for money to find food? Before you stress another second, try using these five tools to find food assistance fast.

If life was stressful before the coronavirus, it’s even worse now, especially if you lost your job due to the shutdowns. Even if you had several months of expenses saved up in an emergency fund, that’s probably gone now since we’re about a year into the pandemic. And while we did get a bit of help through some stimulus payments, those certainly weren’t built to last either.

What can you do when your family needs food, and you’re out of money? Besides asking for help from friends and family or taking out an expensive personal loan, you can find food assistance that can fill your nutritional needs at no cost. Let’s look at some food assistance resources right now that can save the day while we combat COVID-19:

1. The National Hunger Hotline

The U.S. Department of Agriculture created this hotline to help low-income families find food when times get tough. Give it a call today, and you can quickly find food banks, meal sites, and more in your area without having to do any research on your own.

The Hunger Hotline operates Monday through Friday from 7 am to 10 pm Eastern Time. For English, call 866-3-HUNGRY. For Spanish, call 877-8-HAMBRE.

You can also text the Hunger Hotline to get an automated response. Text 97779 along with a question that contains a relevant keyword, such as “meals” or “food” to get the info you’re seeking.

2. USDA Find Meals For Kids

Depending on where you live, schools may be closed in your area. If your kids previously relied on free or reduced-price meals from school, this can negatively impact their nutrition.

To help kids stay fed during the pandemic, the USDA created a Find Meals For Kids site that you can use to see where school meals are being distributed. Just click here and use the map to find all of the schools near you.

3. Meals On Wheels Finder

While keeping kids fed during the pandemic is crucial, so is filling the nutritional needs of seniors. Meals on Wheels does this with over 5,000 programs spread across the country, and you can use this handy tool to find one near you by simply entering your zip code.

4. FoodFinder

You probably know that a food pantry can help when you require emergency assistance because your kitchen is empty. But do you know where actual food pantries are?

You may not know, which can add confusion to an already stressful situation. That’s why using the FoodFinder tool is a must if your family lacks food right now, as it can show you where pantries are nearby so you can visit one today.

Just enter your zip code, and the map will show you all of the food pantries nearby, so you never have to wonder where nutritional assistance is the next time you run into an emergency.

5. 211

It can be overwhelming trying to find food when you’re stressed, and your family is starving.
While the tools above help pinpoint food banks and the like, you may want to speak to someone instead. If that’s the case, give 211 a call, as they can help with food assistance, housing, and much more.