What to do When you Run Out of Food

While I often share tips on how to cut your grocery bill or build a stockpile when you don’t really have the money to do it I recognize an unmet need here on Simple At Home. I feel sad whenever my post on what to do if you run out of formula brings traffic to my site.

Sadly that is multiple times a day. It makes me think infants are not the only children going to bed hungry. In fact, 13 million kids in America go to bed hungry. So today we are going to talk about what to do when you run out of food and can not afford more.

Who runs out of food?

Sadly the numbers are staggering. While we as a nation fight and protest leaving trash in the streets 48.8 million Americans will go to bed hungry tonight. Homeless people that have fell on hard times, Veterans that have struggled to fit back into society, hard-working families not making enough money to pay the bills and fill plates.

It can happen to anyone and when it happens to you fear settles in. If you’re reading this and you are not in this spot I ask you to go into your pantry, grab something from your pantry and pass it on to people in need.

What to do when you run out of food and can not afford more

Remain calm. It is normal to feel scared and hopeless but unless you remain calm you can not really get the work done to solve your problems.

Inventory what you do have. While you may not have a full meal you may have something to get you through while you make calls t o find help.

Sell something you do not need. If you have not been struggling for long odds are you have plenty of things running around the house that can be sold to cover necessities.

Do a search for your local food bank. Most churches and community centers can direct you to one. There are also some great search engines for finding local food banks. Find your local food banks using these search programs  Feeding America, Ample Harvest, or FoodPantries.org.

Ask around. Often friends and family are more than willing to jump in and help when times get tough. Just remember to do the same when times are better for you.

Fish and forage. If you are blessed enough to find yourself in this situation in warmer months take advantage of what nature has to offer to feed your family. While this may take some research and time it will give you power to take control over your situation.

Apply for Government Assistance Programs. There are several government assistance programs available that can provide you with food and other resources. These include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, and the National School Lunch Program. Check with your local Department of Social Services to see if you qualify for any of these programs.

Improve your situation once you are back on your feet.

While we all can find ourselves in this spot you have the power to prevent it from happening again. Build a stockpile, learn to grow, and preserve food. Stop buying things that are cheaper to make yourself.