What's happening?

As you've probably seen in the press, the ongoing government shutdown means that SNAP/EBT benefits for the month of November will likely not be issued, preventing funds for grocery assistance from reaching 42 million people across the country. Here at Compass, we anticipate that at least 100 families and members of staff will be affected by these cuts. To respond to this imminent crisis, the school and the Family School Collaborative (FSC) have created an urgent response mutual aid fund so that anyone who needs help can ask for it confidentially, and anyone who is able to give will be able to.  

We're beginning our fundraising immediately in the hopes of having funds to distribute to those who need it most by the weekend, with more funds being distributed next week. The school does not know which families and staff members receive SNAP benefits but data shows that a family of four might be losing almost $1000 in benefits next month, so we're anticipating a large need and we're hoping that the community will be able to come together to ensure that no one at Compass goes hungry or without their basic needs being met.

What can I do?

If you're a Compass community member in need of assistance please fill out this form which will be seen only by Brooke, Compass Executive Director.

Please give whatever you can by clicking on this link, which will allow you to give through our Square Fundraising Site. If you would prefer to give via Zelle, Paypal, Venmo, cash, or check, please click this link and include “SNAP/EBT Fund” in the transaction.

Please spread the word to your friends and community both at Compass and beyond - it's vital that everyone here sees this message and we'd also appreciate any contributions from your networks too as we work quickly to fulfil a large need. 

Contributions will go through the school's accounts, which will open up the ability for matching for people who work for or have connections to matching grants, and we can provide a 501c3 letter with our EIN for matching programs. Please reach out to Brooke (brooke@brooklyncompass.org) for more information.

We'll be in touch again in the coming days once we have a sense of the amount we need to raise. We included a few local resources below and we’ll continue to add resources as we identify them. If you have additional resources to add, please let us know.  

What if?

If the government shutdown is averted and/or the SNAP/EBT funds are released, we will put all of the funds raised in our Compass Mutual Aid fund for the community to use as needed through our Mutual Aid Request. 

Local Community Resources

Find Food NYC: https://www.foodbanknyc.org/find-food/#find-food-map

Map showing food pantries etc. 

Clinton Hill Fort Greene Mutual Aid https://www.chfgma.org/get-help

City Harvest: https://www.cityharvest.org/food-map/

"This map shows locations that are currently distributing food, free of charge, throughout New York City. Location sites include soup kitchens, food pantries, community fridges, City Harvest Mobile Markets®, and City Harvest Community Partner Distributions."

Too Good To Go: https://www.toogoodtogo.com/

"Too Good To Go has a free app that lets users buy unsold, surplus food from cafes, restaurants, food stores and hotels. It’s all in the name of stopping delicious, perfectly edible food from going to waste. When businesses have unsold food, they list it on Too Good To Go. Customers use the app to buy this food for a great price, then pick it up at a time set by the store. The food is bundled up in what we call “Surprise Bags”. So beyond knowing the gist of what their order will contain (for example sandwiches and salads, or muffins and pastries), users only find out what they get when they collect their order. As well as making for a delicious surprise, it ensures stores have the flexibility to sell genuine surplus food."

Masbia of Flatbush Soup Kitchen and Pantry: https://www.masbiaflatbush.org/getfood

Weekly pantry pick up in Flatbush

Find Help: https://www.findhelp.org/

Find free or reduced-cost resources like food, housing, financial assistance, health care, and more.