Help Feed Monroe County Head Start Families!
More than 150 families in Monroe County rely on SNAP (food stamps) and Head Start to feed their families and support the childcare, health, and development of their littlest ones. Because of the failure of elected officials in Washington DC to prioritize the lives of struggling Hoosiers, funding for both of these programs is in jeopardy!
November SNAP payments will be delayed and families will likely only receive half of what they normally receive, and Head Start funding will run out at the end of November if the government shutdown continues.
No kid should ever go to bed hungry. To pull through this crisis and keep our families fed, we must pull together. Hoosier Action Resource Center is partnering with the South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP) to make certain all the Head Start families in Monroe County have enough food, diapers, and formula to make it through the month. Funds will be distributed via gift cards and requested pantry items.
To keep 150 Head Start families fed for the next month, we urgently need to raise $40,000. A $1,079 contribution feeds a family of 4 for one month. Please give what you can to keep our families fed.
Take action with us to make sure 150 Monroe Co families are fed this month—use Zeffy to make a tax deductible donation today! Email tracey@hoosieraction.org if you prefer to contribute via check.
If you do not want to pay Zeffy processing fees please select “Other” and enter “$0” under the Summary section.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hoosier Action Resource Center?
Hoosier Action Resource Center (HARC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and founded in 2020. Based in New Albany, the goal of HARC is to cultivate community leaders and collaborative solutions to address local challenges in Southern Indiana. Over the past year, HARC staff has collaborated with SCCAP to support the training and leadership development of Head Start parents to advocate for themselves and their families’ needs.
What is SCCAP?
South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP) is a nonprofit organization based in Bloomington, Indiana that has served low-income people for more than 55 years. Their mission is to provide opportunities for low-income individuals and families to achieve personal and economic independence. One of the many vital programs programs SCCAP administers is Head Start.
What is Head Start?
Head Start is a federally funded program designed to promote school readiness for low-income children from birth to age five. It offers comprehensive services including early childhood education, health screenings, nutrition, and essential support for families, including childcare. More than 200 children in Monroe County rely on our local Head Start program which is administered by South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP).
What is SNAP?
SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a federal program that provides monthly food assistance to low-income households to help them buy groceries. The benefits are loaded onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which is used like a debit card at grocery stores and farmers' markets to purchase eligible food items. SNAP is sometimes referred to as “Food Stamps.” About 7,750 kids, adults, and elders in Monroe County rely on SNAP.
What about the SNAP lawsuit?
On October 31st, federal judges in two separate cases ruled that the Trump Administration must tap into the $5 Billion SNAP contingency fund to keep American families fed. However, many questions remain about how quickly those funds will be dispersed as well as to whom: the full cost of running SNAP is $8 Billion per month. There is no special contingency funding for Head Start programs, which costs about $1 Billion per month to run.
How will these funds be used and when will they be distributed?
Head Start families will decide directly how these funds will be used according to their families’ specific needs in this moment of crisis. Support will likely take the form of grocery store gift cards, but in other cases it might be packages of diapers or other care essentials upon request. Funds will be dispersed to Head Start families via SCCAP beginning Monday, November 10th.