As the government shutdown enters its 26th day, America’s most vulnerable households are bearing the cost.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 42 million Americans will lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on November 1.
Soon after the USDA posted that “the well had run dry,” Portland’s nonprofit coffee shop, Heretic Coffee, shared its own announcement.
“If your SNAP benefits are running out, then breakfast is on us,” the coffee shop wrote on October 26 in a now viral social media post.
“NO ONE should have to worry about their next meal. Portland fam, we know it’s not much, but we’ll do our best to keep you fed. Starting November 1st, each day 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.”
Heretic Coffee has been serving Portland for a little over two years.
“As a business that sells coffee and food, it didn’t feel right to just sit and watch people go hungry,” Josh, the owner of Heretic Coffee, told Good Good Good via email. “Regardless of government systems like SNAP succeeding or failing, I still believe it's up to the community itself to look after one another.”
He added that their mission is instilled in the name of the business itself.
“The word heretic literally means ‘to disrupt the established institution of something,’” he emphasized, “so instead of waiting for someone else to fix it, we decided to feed people ourselves.”
When asked if Heretic Coffee was partnering with other shops or suppliers to pull off their mission, Josh said the endeavor is “mostly grassroots” at the moment.
“We've done things like this before, but never with this type of attention,” Josh said. “We're actively getting things in place with local vendors and working with volunteers to cook, serve, and donate.”
“We’re also in ongoing conversations with local nonprofits to scale this sustainably if the need continues indefinitely,” he added.
After Heretic Coffee made its announcement, one Threads user replied: “Sorry, but you will be bankrupt in a week.”
“We responded with ‘Much rather go bankrupt feeding our people than selling coffee while other families starve’ and we stand by that comment,” Josh told Good Good Good. “However, the way our Portland community has already showed up, I am more than confident we can power through.”
Despite a small degree of skepticism, the comments below the announcement were overwhelmingly supportive.
“This is the heart and soul of America,” one Threads user replied. “Thank you for caring about others less fortunate.”
“I've seen such kindness and goodness from individuals and businesses here in Portland,” another wrote. “I'm one of the hundreds of thousands of Oregonians not getting my SNAP next month. Anything and everything helps.”
Within 24 hours of the announcement, hundreds of people were already asking how they could help offset the cost.
“The typical cost of a breakfast burrito and coffee is around $15,” Josh said. “If you’re local, come grab a coffee and ask to pay for someone's ‘SNAP breakfast.’ If you're interested in donating your time more than your money, we're also a volunteer-run coffee shop, and we're always looking for new volunteers.”
Locals looking to volunteer for a shift at Heretic Coffee can visit this Google Form.
For people hoping to support the cause from outside of Portland, Heretic Coffee also has a donation link available online.
“We hope it reminds people that community doesn’t have to be complicated; that a cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito can be a small act of resistance against a system that leaves people hungry,” Josh said of the cause.
“If even one person feels seen, cared for, or less alone because of this, then it’s worth every ounce of effort.”
And as peaceful protests continue outside of Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities — spurring charged rhetoric and false claims from the White House — Josh said it’s more important than ever to show people what the city actually represents.
“There’s been a lot of conversation about Portland in the news lately, that we’re some kind of rioting, looting, burning-down city,” he said.
“But this act is just one small glimpse of the REAL Portland. We’re a big city with a small-town heart. When people are pushed to the margins, we'll be the first to respond. That’s what it means to be a Portlander.”
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Header image via Thirdman / Pexels
