Local charities are stepping up to help hundreds of thousands of Mississippians slated to be affected by a lack of food-assistance benefits being delivered in November.
The Mississippi Department of Human Services announced Friday that a funding lapse caused by the ongoing federal government shutdown will halt the upcoming round of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from being divvied out. Roughly 385,000 Mississippians rely on food assistance through SNAP, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Of those who receive benefits, 67% are families with children.
While the state is encouraging families looking to meet their food needs during the pause in SNAP benefits to visit the Mid-South Food Bank in north Mississippi, the Mississippi Food Network in central Mississippi, and Catholic Charities in south Mississippi, another major nonprofit is taking donations to supply food pantries statewide.
Extra Table, founded by the popular Mississippi restaurateur Robert St. John, recognized that thousands upon thousands of tables in underserved and underprivileged areas of the state could soon be occupied by empty plates if action is not taken soon. To make matters worse, the organizations dedicated to feeding the hungry are seeing surges in foot traffic at levels never before seen, meaning shelf-stable items are beginning to dissipate as demand rises.
That’s where Extra Table intercedes, according to executive director Martha Allen Price. The nonprofit, unlike many food banks, does not receive government funding, and intentionally so to avoid being confined to a specific set of guidelines and regulations. By being privately backed, the organization can fulfill its main mission of feeding Mississippians by stocking food pantries. Extra Table supplies food to 63 food pantries and soup kitchens across Mississippi, covering 51 of the state’s 82 counties.
“When others can’t feed because of red tape, we can — and we do,” Price said. “We are not government subsidized. We don’t wait on funding cycles or approvals. Every dollar donated to Extra Table buys healthy food, and 100% goes directly to feeding people across Mississippi.”
Extra Table is calling on Mississippians to help the nonprofit raise additional funds to add to or double the amount of food it sends to food pantries during this time of uncertainty. Price noted that with shelves depleting rapidly, the community has an opportunity to help its neighbors in need by giving, which will go directly to resupplying food for the needy.
Before the SNAP freeze was even a potential reality, Extra Table was preparing to launch its holiday “Bird Campaign,” an effort to donate 9,000 whole chickens to food pantries across the state so families can enjoy a holiday meal together. Now, that campaign has amplified. Dollars sent to Extra Table allow the organization to use its bulk buying power to purchase and deliver truckloads of food, ensuring pantries receive proteins for every food bag, along with fruits, pasta, and other essential items.
While politics may be a driving force of division in the U.S. in 2025, a crisis can bring people together, and what better way to display unity than to help those in need? To give to Extra Table, prospective donors are asked to text “FeedMS” to 44321 to donate.
For those looking to go directly to a local supplier of goods, a list of food pantries in all 82 Mississippi counties can be found here.
