GOOD PPL!

Lindsey here from Lowcountry Street Grocery (LSG). Ya know, the "Produce to the People" folks in Charleston, SC. As a social business, our mission is to create a more resilient & equitable local food system for both consumers (the "People") and farmers (the "Produce"). We do this by leveraging high-demand sales to meet community needs. We call it Robinhood Economics. Naturally, a large part of our work is supported by SNAP/EBT and likewise, South Carolina's Healthy Bucks incentive: Buy $5 EBT --> Get $15 Free Fruits & Vegetables.

Since we started slingin' produce nearly 10 years ago, our mission has grown alongside our sales. Every year, demand for convenient local food has increased. Every year, our mission bandwidth has increased meaning we're able to support more and more neighbors that lack food access, food security, transportation, or any combination of those. That means our humble concept is working, right?! Right.

2025 has been uh, interesting. We've witnessed many of our colleagues strain with funding decreases, layoffs, and re-organization. We've seen the cancellation of proven healthy food initiatives. What really shook me was the plug being pulled on dozens of elderly folks that we've been delivering groceries to since 2020. We know them by name, we even have delivery notes for their pets. Thanks to the generosity of our Community Supported Grocery (CSG) customers, we're still delivering to them albeit a few less deliveries per year. Through all this chaos we noticed a bigger picture trend that's even more concerning: NEED is sharply outpacing DEMAND. A warning for both the wealth and the health of our national food system.

On a Sunday in early September, at 4:00 am, the USDA delivered us quite a shock. We were officially de-authorized to accept SNAP/EBT. This exacerbated the widening gap that exists for families that lack fresh, healthy food. Unfortunately, one month later we have no timeline or clarity on moving forward with our USDA re-authorization. In our best estimation, we hope to be back online in 3 months, assuming the federal government gets back to work. Even so, we acknowledge that SNAP/EBT will likely be far different in the immediate future - with or without looming budget cuts.

SNAP/EBT and Healthy Bucks are CRITICAL. Let me say that again. SNAP/EBT and Healthy Bucks are CRITICAL. Keeping these vital lifelines open for many of the South Carolinians we serve is crucial for a healthy and viable local food system. For families. For farmers. For businesses. For healthcare costs. For state and local economies. Not just now. But later. For our kids. For our kid's kids and their kids. That's how many generations have been aided by United States SNAP programming since 1939. Pulling the rug out on such a critical component of our food system makes Produce to the People significantly harder, at a time when our mission bandwidth is maxed out.

ENTER SNAP BACK!

So here we are. A short-term solution with long-term goals. A gentle plea to our community. Essentially, SNAP BACK! is private dollars to support public health. This is how YOU can team up with us to feed our community. SNAP BACK dollars aim to help cover the costs of fresh, healthy food, logistics, and a sense of HOPE for hundreds of SNAP-eligible families in the Lowcountry. Think of SNAP BACK! as our very own, internal version of SNAP/EBT & Healthy Bucks. A nimble version of supplemental nutrition without the volatile ebbs and flows of government policy. While we could never come close to the scale and efficacy of SNAP/EBT programming, together we can put a sizable dent in our little corner of the country.

IMPACT & USE OF FUNDS

$50k would ensure that nearly 300 SNAP-eligible families aren't disconnected from healthy food for 3 months. $50k would allow us to restart fresh food deliveries for current and wait-listed families. The funds would directly cover the cost of goods and logistics. Contributions beyond the SNAP BACK! fundraising goal would be used for increased timeframe or mission bandwidth, partly dependent on our SNAP/EBT authorization status. Considering the new direction of the USDA and scheduled budget cuts, my confidence in the future of SNAP/EBT as we known it is shaky at best. SNAP BACK! will play a role in a strategic path forward for the immediate future and a contingency beyond that.

Since LSG is diversified, SNAP BACK! dollars will flow into multiple active outlets:

SUGGESTED $$ SUPPORT:

$50 supports 1 family for 2 weeks.

$100 supports 1 family for 1 month.

$300 supports 1 family for 3 months.

etc. etc. etc.

OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT:

Thank you for reading. Thank you for being great. Thank you in advance for helping us get Produce to the People!

Peace.

Lindsey Barrow Jr.

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.