These are unprecedented times, and it’s inspiring to see communities rising to the challenges that the spread of coronavirus has created. However, not everyone has the resources to “shelter in place” especially the millions of people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. Living paycheck to paycheck is hard when millions of businesses around the nation are closing down indefinitely, and hourly workers (including those dependent upon tips) are the hardest hit. In particular, families with kids whose primary meals happen at school are especially vulnerable when those schools shut down.
With this in mind, Expensify.org is going to temporarily redirect all of its charitable funds to Expensify.org/hunger. With its ability to reimburse volunteers directly in real-time, Expensify.org is uniquely positioned to help families in need immediately. Until today, this fund was focused on paying off kids’ “lunch debts”, but with schools closed around the nation, that isn’t the top priority. Instead, Expensify.org is devoting everything to a new program: matching SNAP grocery purchases up to $50 per family.
It works like this:
- Purchase food as normal with your SNAP card.
- Download Expensify on iOS or Android, for free.
- Join the Expensify.org/hunger policy.
- SmartScan the receipt, which will indicate how much you paid and show that it was paid for with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.
- Submit it to volunteer@expensify.org.
- Set up your bank account to receive the funds.
- So long as funds are available, reimbursements up to $50 per family (one time), will process the very next day.
Keep in mind, Expensify.org can’t commit to reimbursing every single person in need. This is a first come, first served opportunity.
