Google Fights Food Insecurity As EBT SNAP Expands Beyond The Supermarket

Businesses are getting in on the fight against food insecurity this week — as Dollar General confirmed its plan to offer fresh produce in 10,000 stores to combat food deserts, Google announced a major anti-food insecurity initiative. In a blog post, the tech giant announced its Find Food Support site, which features tools to locate the nearest food bank, information about food stamp eligibility, and education tools about additional opportunities to receive food support.

“We know people are looking for ways to get help, including on Google Search,” Emily Ma, head of Food for Good at Google, wrote in the post. “Over the past year, searches for ‘food bank near me’, ‘Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)’, ‘food stamps application’ and ‘school lunch pick up’ reached record highs.”

In addition to connecting people to ways to get food, the site also features an anti-stigma initiative, a series of videos, to break through the barriers that often keep people from seeking out these resources. It also highlights the work of organizations fighting food insecurity through a series of video profiles.

“There’s a long way to go to fully solving the hunger crisis in the U.S. and around the globe, but we hope Find Food Support helps connect people in the U.S. to free food and assistance in their time of need,” wrote Ma.

The release notes that the number of people struggling with food insecurity grew about 30 percent in 2020 to 45 million people. Initiatives to get people the resources that they need to feed themselves and their families are of course vital for these people, they are also good for businesses, providing a chance to bring in revenue from this massive group of shoppers who otherwise would not have been able to make any purchases.

In the past year, more food sellers have been rolling out omnichannel electronic benefits transfer (EBT) SNAP payment options, integrating it into curbside pickup and delivery ordering. In April, Instacart announced that it would enable EBT SNAP payments in 4,000 of the stores it works with across 38 states.

Some local legislatures are seeing to it that EBT SNAP benefits go beyond the grocery store, giving both SNAP recipients and businesses alike the opportunity to benefit. In December, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer passed a provision allowing SNAP benefits to be used in local restaurants and small businesses.

“These actions will ensure that families have the support they need to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads this winter,” Whitmer said, per ABC, “as well as provide support to local restaurants and small business owners all over the state struggling as a result of the pandemic.”

More recently, in May, the New York State Assembly passed a similar bill, creating a Restaurant Meals Program through SNAP that allows recipients who are not able to prepare their own meals to use benefits at approved stores and restaurants for prepared meals. California has had a similar program for years, the CalFresh Restaurant Meals Program, which extends benefits to a selection of restaurants for older adults, people with disabilities, and those experiencing homelessness.