How the SNAP Delay Brought Athens Community Together

Athens County may be small, but that doesn’t mean its residents’ hearts are 

Click here for video 

Written by Shaelyn Clark

ATHENS, Ohio — When the recent federal government shutdown halted the disbursement of new SNAP benefits, Athens County families and Ohio University students found themselves facing an unexpected and immediate crisis. With grocery budgets tightening, dining halls preparing to close for the Thanksgiving break, and no clear timeline for when assistance would resume, local organizations quickly mobilized. Although the shutdown has since ended and SNAP benefits are expected to return to their normal schedule, the brief lapse revealed how deeply many residents rely on federal food assistance — and how swiftly Athens steps up when needed.

Even before the government reopened, local businesses like Hot Box Chicken began offering free or discounted meals to community members affected by the delay. On October 27, owner Kevin McNamara posted on the restaurant’s Instagram account (@hotboxathens) that they would “provide free meals to SNAP recipients starting Nov 1” and asked customers to simply show their SNAP cards to qualify. The post went viral locally and underscored the urgency the restaurant felt in stepping in ahead of the bigger federal backup.

Dave Voge, a manager at Hot Box since it opened in September and a long-time Athens resident, said the decision to support SNAP families during the shutdown wasn’t a new direction for the business, but rather an extension of what Hot Box has always valued.

“Hot Box, they’ve always been big in the community. They do five scholarships for the high schools — one for each high school in Athens County,” Voge said. “So it’s just something that Hot Box is all about: just helping the people of Athens when needed.”

Hot Box employees noticed the impact of the shutdown almost immediately. Families who relied on SNAP began coming in for assistance, but Voge said the community response was equally powerful.

“There’s been a lot of people that came in here, not for SNAP but just to tell us things, and they want to come here and show support and have a meal here,” he said. “We’ve also had a couple of businesses and a couple of private people donate money to help pay for the SNAP meals as well.”

Those donations helped the restaurant continue offering free meals while maintaining financial stability — a difficult balance for any small business, especially during a period of increased demand.

On campus, the shutdown's impact was also felt by many of the students who rely on SNAP benefits. The Cat’s Cupboard, the university’s basic needs pantry, located in Baker Center, is available to Ohio University students who meet the needs to receive extra support. Kassandra Aleksiejczyk, who joined the university a little over a month ago as its Basic Needs Program Manager, said the shutdown highlighted how quickly students can become vulnerable when federal programs pause, especially with the holiday break approaching. While it might not affect those who have the ability to return home for break, international students rely heavily on this kind of support since returning home may be more of a challenge than most.

Aleksiejczyk, who cares deeply about access to basic needs for Appalachian communities and OU students, said she is grateful to be serving a region she is passionate about. She emphasized that although Cat’s Cupboard has limitations, the team is committed to ensuring students find the support they need — whether through the university or local partners.

“Athens is such a good community. And so to see the places like Hot Box … and all these places really step up, even if it’s like a detriment to their business — like you can tell they care about the people more than the business,” she said. “Even though Cat’s Cupboard is limited to what we can provide on campus, we’re sharing on our social media anything we hear about in the community that’s assistance, to try and make sure people can have food every single day.”

Cat’s Cupboard staff prepared for a surge in need as Thanksgiving approached, particularly from students who could not return home or those who rely on dining halls that temporarily close during the break. The shutdown intensified concerns that some students might struggle to access meals without campus resources.

Although the federal government has now resumed operations, the incident served as a stress test for Athens County. It revealed vulnerabilities in the community’s food security system — but also showcased the strength of local compassion. Small businesses, university programs, and individual residents rallied together to ensure no one went hungry, even as they balanced their own financial pressures and capacity limits.

For Voge, Aleksiejczyk, and many others involved, the message was clear: Athens County may be small, but its people consistently act with an outsized sense of responsibility and care.

References: Hot Box Athens. (2024, October 27). [Post about community support during the SNAP shutdown]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/hotboxathens