Sometimes, life deals you a set of circumstances where you could use some extra helps for just a few weeks. The COVID-19 pandemic showed Greater Washington County Food Bank that there is a portion of our population that is on the cusp of needing supplemental food, but many times, residents do not feel they need support every month from a traditional food bank. Recognizing this segment, Greater Washington County Food Bank created the Short-Term Emergency Program (or STEP, for short) to provide weekly food boxes on an individual basis to help prevent people from falling into the food-insecure cycle. Not only does STEP offer weekly wellness checks, but also educational and resource information. For example, if a resident unexpectedly lost their job and has no income to purchase food, we can help by providing food as well as hiring resources, resume support, and connect them with career guidance to help them back into the work force. If a patient is recovering from a medical procedure, we can provide food as well as resources to help with recover. The Short-Term Emergency Program is a 30-day program, with reassessment after 30 days to provide the most appropriate resources on an individual basis.

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The goal is to get our neighbors back on their feet instead of

falling into the food-insecure cycle. We want to prevent food insecurity for at-risk individuals before it begins. We are here to help.