Sara Crocker
Audio By Carbonatix
The federal food assistance program that 42 million Americans and more than 900,000 Arizonans rely on will be suspended on Saturday, Nov. 1. This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would not dip into its $6 billion contingency fund to continue paying for critical food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
The Trump administration’s move to withhold this funding is a bargaining chip in the ongoing government shutdown. It will prevent the most vulnerable Americans from receiving dollars on debit-like EBT cards to shop for groceries. SNAP, sometimes called food stamps, is the biggest anti-hunger program in the country. Arizona and 21 other states have sued to prevent food assistance from being cut off.
Amid this chaos, one Phoenix restaurant owner and her team decided to help the best way they know how: to feed people.
“It’s very scary what’s happening right now and a lot of people are scrambling,” says Angel Gould, who owns the hip, casual Roosevelt Row restaurant Lovebite Dumplings.
Gould took to social media, imploring anyone who is hungry to visit her downtown dumpling shop. Sitting cross-legged on the floor in a denim jumpsuit and a white tank, the 27-year-old business owner laid out the dire need.
“(We) want everyone to know that 900,000 people in Arizona are going to face food insecurity because of this government shutdown, 40% of them are gonna be children, and we want to make sure that everyone in our community doesn’t go hungry and is well-fed,” she says in the video.
Lovebite Dumplings will provide free meals to anyone with a food assistance card beginning on Saturday, Nov. 1.
‘Unbelievable’ response from the community
The restaurant serves affordable lunches and late-night eats on Roosevelt Row (and travels for the occasional massive music festival). With a Chipotle-style ordering process, customers can pick from pink dragonfruit rice, sesame noodles and spring mix, then select six dumplings and their choice of sauces. The meals are neatly packed into small paperboard boxes.
Initially, Gould planned for Lovebite to take the financial hit to cover the cost of the free meals, and said she would worry about making up the loss later. In Lovebite’s announcement, Gould also explained that customers could prepay for a meal at the store. A customer suggested Lovebite add an online donation option, too.
On Tuesday, a continuous flow of customers stopped in to share their stories of being on SNAP and to pre-pay for meals for others. The response moved Gould and her team to tears. In one day, Lovebite received enough donations to feed at least 368 people.
“It has been so reaffirming and so exciting in such a dark time in the country to see how many people who want to help,” she says. “I’ve not been feeling very hopeful lately, so this is unbelievable.”
The restaurant will offer its customizable meals, called Loveboxes, to people in need until at least Nov. 8. The meals will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Phoenix businesses offer support
While Lovebite was one of the first to offer help in Phoenix, other local businesses have joined the trend, which is expanding nationwide. These Valley spots are providing food and assistance to those in need:
The Coronado
2245 N. 12th St.
The Coronado, a Phoenix vegan restaurant, will offer a burrito and a side of chips and salsa from Nov. 1 to 8, from 1 to 5 p.m. In its announcement, the restaurant noted its “pay it forward,” campaign, where patrons can purchase those meals for others for $10, was inspired by Lovebite.
Baked Chemistry
5757 N. Central Ave.
720 N. Fifth St.
Baked Chemistry, a vegan bakery and cafe that pops up at farmers markets, has introduced the Chemistry Community Plate. The bakery will serve pay-what-you-can meals from its stall at the Uptown Farmers Market on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The bakery is also accepting donations to cover the cost of these meals.
Stroll Coffee
3015 N. 16th St.
Stroll Coffee will offer one free coffee to people who have lost their federal food benefits or have been furloughed or laid off by the government, beginning on Saturday, Nov. 1. The mobile coffee cart, which has a residency at Phoenix’s Dig It Gardens, will also collect nonperishable food and monetary donations for St. Mary’s Food Bank on Saturday. Those who bring donations will receive 15% off their Stroll beverages.
King Pigeon Thrift & Vintage
4739 N. Central Ave.
King Pigeon Thrift & Vintage is a shop, not a restaurant, but on Saturday, Nov. 1, it will offer sandwich kits and a nonperishable food pantry gleaned from community donations. People can pick up kits and pantry goods starting at 9 a.m.
Have you seen other restaurants offering food to those in need? Let us know at editorial@newtimes.com.
Lovebite Dumplings
116 E. Roosevelt St.
