Clovis families set up food pantries amid SNAP crisis. ‘People need to eat’
Clovis families have launched free food pantries to help neighbors get through food shortages amid the federal shutdown’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) freeze.
Last week, as SNAP benefits were delayed due to the shutdown, Clovis community members rallied to help neighbors in need by donating food, setting up free pantries, and delivering hot meals to homes.
Caitlyn Lairmore, whose family operates the WildRose Homestead free food pantry outside their house on East Olive Avenue, said she was shocked to see a sharp decline in Walmart shoppers at the beginning of last week during a grocery run with her mom.
“We looked at each other, like, ‘Where is everybody?’ All the aisles were stocked, there was just nobody there,” Lairmore said. “It’s because of people’s benefits. They’re not getting what they need. They’re not eating.”
Once they headed back home, Caitlyn and her mom, Heather Lairmore, gathered all the extra produce and spare essentials from their house, set up a free food pantry outside their yard, and posted on Facebook to spread the word.
The Lairmore family has owned a farm since the 1930s, according to Heather Lairmore. Her great-grandfather used to sell dairy and vegetables to the government during World War II. Earlier this year, as egg prices spiked, the family wanted to help the neighborhood by providing reasonably priced natural produce. They started with an ice chest strapped to the fence, and it evolved to a farm stand.
Last Tuesday, they turned the farm stand into a free food pantry that runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. At least 10 people come to collect food each day, with some driving from locations more than 30 minutes away. The recipients extend far beyond those who have exhausted their SNAP benefits, Heather Lairmore said.
“I got a message from a lady today, she said ‘I understand you’re probably doing this for the people that don’t have food stamps, but my husband and I both work, our grandson tragically passed away, and my husband didn’t get paid bereavement time. We’ve paid our bills, but now we don’t have anything left for food, can we come get some help?’” Heather Lairmore said. “I said ‘of course.’ It’s for whoever needs help. People need to eat.”
The Lairmore family said it’s heartwarming to see community members donate boxes of food donated every day.
“We thought, we’ll put everything we have in our pantry out and hopefully help somebody, but people keep bringing big boxes of produce from their farms in the community, it’s just amazing,” said Caitlyn Lairmore.
Last Friday afternoon, the pantry was stocked with items ranging from bagged instant noodles and boxed cereals to potatoes and fruits, toilet paper and razors. The pomegranates were from their trees and the eggs were from their chickens, but the rest of the items were coming from the community, Caitlyn Lairmore said.
“It’s so sad to see all the messages that we’ve been getting. They all say they’re embarrassed to ask for help,” Caitlyn Lairmore said. “It shouldn’t be that way.”
On the other side of the town, five siblings from the Vick family started to deliver home-cooked hot meals to families in need.
Nita Vick, one of the siblings who’s in college, said it was their dad’s idea to deliver hot meals instead of ingredients, because some families don’t have the means to cook.
“Regardless of food stamps, there’s still people out there who are hungry, who aren’t able to cook food, single moms who don’t have the time,” Nita Vick said. “WeF just decided that it was a better route to go for us, since we have such a big family, we can actually cook it in our kitchen and deliver it.”
Growing up in a family of eight children without a car, Nita Vick said she and her siblings are well aware of the feelings of getting through difficult times.
“We would get help from churches or just good people, like what we’re doing. I remember being a kid, and it was just so helpful, it would just make my whole day,” said Nita Vick. “We really want to be there for the families. I know sometimes they go through a really dark life, and just like adding a light in that, right?”
After receiving messages from families in need, the Vick siblings would ask about the size of the family, the age of the kids, the actual amount of food the family would consume, then deliver the hot meals to them, along with milk, cereal, and bread for breakfast.
As of last Friday, they had assisted six families. This includes a family of seven — six kids and a single mom who’s in the hospital.
With the generous donations from the community, Nita Vick said they could manage the cost for groceries, but the gas is expensive. The Vick family now lives in the Yokuts Valley, which is a 40-minute drive from Clovis.
“We have to help people up here in Squaw Valley as well, but it’s a really small town. We did live in Clovis previously,” Nita Vick said. “I think a lot of people who live up here consider Clovis to be our neighbors.”
The siblings said they hope to keep this going as long as they can, and maybe someday they can open up their own building where people can enjoy fresh meals.
“We’ve really seen how our community can come together. We made one post, and we’ve had an overwhelming amount of love and support. We’ve had so many donations, people are being very generous,” said Naomi Vick. “People showed up with a couple of canned goods, a gift card to Walmart to buy groceries, everything helps every little way.”
