Every month, about 140,000 Rhode Islanders depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to feed themselves and their families. That’s 86,000 households, including 23,000 families with children, receiving about $29 million in food assistance.
This program isn’t a luxury - it’s a lifeline. It’s the quiet system that keeps kitchen tables filled and grocery carts moving. It’s what allows parents to send their kids to school with breakfast in their bellies.
But right now, there’s a storm brewing. With the federal government shut down, SNAP could stop. That means no funds, no benefits, no groceries for the first time in U.S. history.
This isn’t politics anymore. It’s people.
The human supply chain
In business, we know what happens when a supply chain breaks. Raw materials don’t arrive, trucks can’t move and production halts. Shelves go empty and customers are left waiting.
Now imagine that same concept, but instead of machine parts or products, it’s food.
And instead of businesses, it’s families.
SNAP is the supply chain for food security in America. When that flow stops, people burn through their “inventory” of rice, pasta and peanut butter in the pantry. When that safety stock gone, recovery isn’t instant. Even if SNAP turns back on, it takes weeks or months for families to rebuild their household inventories, to get back to steady ground.
That’s what’s at stake right now.
The real backstop: us
In Rhode Island, we’ve always had something special a human government that operates one-on-one. People helping people. Neighbors checking on neighbors. Businesses stepping up when the system breaks down.
If SNAP stops, we the citizens, employers, and communities of this state – have to become the bridge.
We can’t wait for Washington to figure it out.
We have to act now.
If you run a business, think about what you can do. Can you support the RI Community Food Bank, local pantries, or meal programs? Can you rally your employees around a giving drive? Can you use your logistics or inventory to help distribute food, supplies, or manpower where it’s needed?
Every act matters. Every dollar keeps the chain alive.
The governor’s call and ours
Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Tuesday declared a state of emergency with thousands of Rhode Island residents set to lose SNAP benefits on Nov. 1.
McKee said $6 million from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program will fund food assistance for 20,000 families and dependents. About 25% of what families normally receive on their EBT cards will be loaded on Nov. 1, with another 25% ready for Nov. 16 if needed.
Also on Tuesday, McKee announced the Rhode Island Community Food Bank will receive $200,000 in Social Services Block Grant funding. The
Rhode Island Foundation is earmarking $1 million in emergency grants, including a matching $200,000 to the food bank, McKee said. The remaining $800,000 will be distributed to nonprofits directly by the foundation through its Community Partner Resilience Fund.
The Rhode Island AFL-CIO also donated $10,000 and assistance with food distribution, McKee said.
The public can also donate to the effort at:
rifoundation.org/food.
The real power lies in the private sector in the heartbeat of small businesses, manufacturers, suppliers, restaurants, grocers and families who understand the value of community resilience.
Let’s build the human supply chain
We’re Rhode Islanders. We’ve rebuilt after storms, recessions and heartbreak. We know how to close ranks and look out for one another.
So let’s think about the human supply chain the same way we think about our business ones with urgency, precision, and care. Let’s make sure no family goes hungry while the nation waits for politics to play out.
Because when the government stalls, humanity shouldn’t.
When the system breaks, we the people of Rhode Island become the system.
Karl Wadensten is a member of the R.I. Commerce Corp. board and president of VIBCO Vibrators, a manufacturing company based in Richmond. He has spent more than 25 years helping build and retain jobs in Rhode Island’s small and mid-sized business sector.
