The student-run 193 Coffeehouse has taken initiative to aid those affected by government-shutdown influenced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cut-offs.
The coffeehouse is holding a food drive accessible for anyone who wants to drop off food items in their Memorial Union location. The drive has been going on for about a week, beginning on Nov. 3. They have two whole boxes filled.
The coffeehouse is accepting non-perishable foods to be donated to the Jonnycake Center for Hope, according to the coffeehouse Instagram.
Third-year student Gwen Kavanaugh, 193 barista and food drive coordinator, proposed the idea to build community during the Thanksgiving season.
“I think it’s so important [to help out] other communities, especially when other people have the opportunity to help out [those] who might not have the opportunity or have access to food,” Kavanaugh said. “I think the SNAP cut-offs are absolutely ridiculous.”
Coffeehouse employees have experienced the community pull together first hand, according to Kalli Marek, fourth-year student and president of the coffeehouse.
“It has been an incredible turn out, I am surprised at how much stuff we have gotten,” Marek said.
With experience in sustainable agriculture, Marek has knowledge of what is going on behind the scenes and assisted in the promotion of the food drive.
“I think the SNAP cut-offs are an incredibly horrible thing,” Marek said. “I am a sustainable agricultural major and so I have done a lot of research and had a lot of conversations around food insecurity and a critical role that plays in our food ecosystem.”
The Emergency Food System, a non-government funded program, only addresses one-tenth of food insecurity needs, according to Marek.
“I think it is actually catastrophic what is going on,” Marek said. “We have had government shutdowns before and SNAP hasn’t been shut down, it was still funded.”
Those interested in supporting the coffeehouse food drive can drop off non-perishable food items in Room 200 of the Memorial Union. The drive ends on Nov. 21.
