Jun 11, 2020

Hannah Walker, vice president of political affairs, offers comment on FMI’s new Feeding Assistance toolkit for members: 

FMI - The Food Industry Association’s, U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report finds American shoppers continue to adjust to new realities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, including concerns about the ability to provide food for their households. Americans (61%) remain extremely to very concerned about COVID-19, with 22% of shoppers worrying specifically about having enough money for food.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported a national unemployment rate of 13.3% for May 2020. During these unprecedented times, the food industry wants to ensure all grocery shoppers - regardless of how they pay - can buy the food they need to put meals on their tables. 

FMI developed a toolkit focused on feeding assistance to support our members’ efforts to help address the various and changing needs of today’s grocery shoppers. The toolkit hosts several resources, including meal-time solutions, ideas for ingredient substitutions, information on food banks and how to enroll in and use food assistance programs. 

In the toolkit, you'll find: 

  • An educational video that explains how to enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 
  • An interactive infographic that answers frequently asked questions about SNAP. 
  • Information on WIC Waivers & Online SNAP purchasing pilot.
  • Links to budget friendly recipes and shopping resources.
  • Additional resources from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Research Action Center (FRAC), food banks, the FMI Foundation and more. 

For more information, visit www.feedingassistance.com