San Marin’s parent-teacher-student association (PTSA) hosted a food drive in response to the confusion regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Due to the previous 43-day-long government shutdown, SNAP benefits were originally suspended nationwide on November 1. These cuts lasted about a week, which brought lots of uncertainty; SNAP benefits were reinstated at the end of the government shutdown. The bill that ended the shutdown included funding for SNAP through September 2026.
Low-income families are provided additional food nutrition through SNAP, benefiting approximately 41.7 million Americans. Depending on household size and income, families receive financial aid to help offset the cost of food on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. When the government shutdown took place, and these SNAP cuts took effect, people who used them stopped receiving benefits on their EBT cards. One San Marin student living in a single-parent household is struggling to keep up without the support of SNAP.
“[The uncertainty is] a lot of stress for my mom because she wants to be able to give me certain foods, but we can’t afford to buy them,” an anonymous San Marin student said.
The right to food is a fundamental human right under international law, meaning that people should not be denied access to food due to their economic situation. With multiple foods being cut or unaffordable, this can severely question this specific international law.
“About 15,000 families in Marin rely on SNAP benefits, and a third of those families live in Novato,” Pam Laidley, San Marin’s PTSA president, said.
SNAP benefits are a significant resource amongst the Novato community. This motivated Laidley to work with San Marin to give to those families affected by the cuts.
North Marin Community Services has a food pantry dedicated to serving Marin residents who face food insecurity. To provide extra support to this service, San Marin is collaborating with them to offer additional food assistance. Blue bins were placed throughout campus, including in the front office, STEM building, library, and the PAC. An off-campus donation container was available at Trailhead Novato. The goal of this drive was to collect 3,000+ non-perishable items for the North Marin Community’s food pantry. Items that can be contributed are canned foods, pastas, grains, and nut butters.
The food drive ended on a positive note, ending with 1,448 items collected. Many food items were donated and sent to the North Marin Community’s pantry to help those struggling with food security. San Marin did its part in helping those in need, and hopes to inspire others to do the same.
