Midweek Message October 30, 2025

Dear Ones, 

      As most of you will have heard by now, the government shutdown will cause a disruption of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits which more than 690,000 individuals in Tennessee rely on to feed themselves each month. 

 Thankfully, Tennessee has agreed to continue financial support of WIC (Women, Infant, and Children), which helps provide “supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education to pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five” (from Nashville WIC website). However with SNAP benefits potentially not resuming until after the holidays, this is going to be a particularly difficult season for some of us and our neighbors.

As a way to address this issue head on, the local West Nashville Interfaith Clergy group met on Tuesday to discuss ways we could bolster assistance across our congregations at this time. We decided to raise funds and designated material goods for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, which purchases goods in bulk at low cost and distributes them to local food banks across our region. Second Harvest also partners with local organizations to prevent food waste and works to meet the cultural food needs of their clients too.

The Interfaith Clergy group split up the most in-need items amongst our congregations and FUUN was assigned PEANUT BUTTER. As you can imagine, peanut butter is a rich source of much needed healthy fats and protein that does not require refrigeration, and even a small container can feed an individual for several days. There will be a box set up at church throughout the month of November to collect your donations of peanut butter.

Additionally, because donating money can stretch the purchase of bulk foods much further through the supplier, the Social Justice team is designating Second Harvest for our Share the Plate recipient for November. The acute needs of our neighbors means that we will cut weekly checks, rather than our usual end of the month lump donation. If you are not directly affected by the halt on SNAP benefits, I encourage you to dig deep to donate.

If you and your family rely on SNAP and you find yourselves facing a possible shortage of food- now or at any time in the future- I ask you to please seek me out for direct assistance. Your request will remain absolutely confidential and your need will be met immediately. No matter your circumstances, no one should ever be hungry when there is a community who can help to feed them. 

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Rev. Charlotte