Rose Afriyie knows firsthand what its like to be a beneficiary of food programs.
About 40 million people receive SNAP benefits in an average month, according to theUSDA.
This year,emergency SNAP benefitshavehelped familiesexperiencing food insecurity survive the pandemic-prompted economic crisis.
Iryna Veklich/Getty Images
By mReliefs estimate, about$13 billionin food stamp benefits go unclaimed every year.
But Afriyie and her colleagues are also dedicated to making the experience of seeking and securing SNAP benefits moredecent.
Our mission is to transform access to social services for the inherent dignity of all people.
We had dental assistance, rental assistance, all types of programs.
So we ran the analytics to see: What are the top programs that people are actually going to?
SNAP is effectively the nations greatest food program, in part because of what its able to provide.
Food pantries cant meet the demand for peoples needs in this program, and SNAP can.
SNAP also gives people the freedom to go out and buy their own food and feed their families.
We are working within the solution that already exists, but are helping to make it more accessible.
What about the billions of dollars in SNAP benefits that go unclaimed?
And how is mRelief trying to help unlock more of those benefits for people?Z.M.
One of the biggest reasons is people don’t know they are eligible for this program.
you’re able to be working and still be eligible.
you might be a student, in some cases, and still be eligible.
you’ve got the option to be receiving Social Security and still be eligible.
And our new platform,Johnnie, was born of the pandemic, unfortunately.
Can you talk about why mobile EBT is so important?Z.M.
Theres not a stopgap.
R.A.:You could lose your card, at any moment.
And if your card accidentally is in your pocket, you might lose your card that way.
But our clients really have nothing.
:There has been the minimum effort madethe recognition that mobile EBT is something of the future.
However, theres no [federal] funding thats been allocated to actually support that work.
And to be clear, what we want is funding for actual in-depth research.
And this research does deserve funding and resources.
What can people reading this do if they want to help?Z.M.
That would be our ask for individuals who maybe dont know what to do in this moment.
Thats a huge, important step.
People can go tomRelief.com/donate.
