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The Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire believes that all people have a right to be safe. We believe this is a fundamental human right. We also believe that all people deserve access to food. According to Feeding America, 1 and 14 people in NH face hunger. Food insecurity has tragic effects on our society, especially for survivors.

 This month, the additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that were introduced during the pandemic are ending. SNAP benefits are issued on a sliding scale, which led to significant increase in monthly support for groceries in thousands of households in New Hampshire — at least $95 in additional funds each month for individuals and an average increase of 40% for families.

With the additional benefits ending, it will have a large impact for many individuals and families. This is especially true for survivors. Survivors have increased barriers to food due to the abuse they experience. This can include:

  • Financial abuse – or the control of one’s ability to acquire, use and maintain money by an intimate partner – can lead to food insecurity.
  • Survivors who escape abuse disproportionately rely on public assistance and low-wage jobs for survival and thus face a higher risk of food insecurity.
  • Factors that give rise to food insecurity, such as poverty and financial stress, also serve as indicators for increased risk of violence.

 CCCNH works with the NH Food Bank and the Friendly Kitchen to provide wrap-around services to help survivors meet their food needs. Additionally, advocates work with survivors to help them access SNAP benefits. Without the help from these programs, the survivors would not have the resources they need to eat three meals a day.

 “The NH Food Bank’s network of 400 partner agencies such as food pantries, soup kitchens, after school and senior programs and more, together with our weekly mobile food pantries, are here for everyone. As a former board member of CCCNH, I know firsthand how food insecurity can affect survivors. The Food Bank is proud to partner with CCCNH and their sister agencies throughout NH to make sure no one facing violence has to face hunger too,” said Nancy Mellitt, Director of Development for the NH Food Bank.

 Intimate partner violence is not a singular issue. Survivors fleeing an abusive relationship cannot always pick up the pieces quickly and it can take months or even years for them to get back on their feet. Food insecurity is an understudied social public health crisis that disproportionately affects vulnerable low income and minority adults, especially survivors of violence.

 Our community must come together to explore the mechanisms linking food insecurity and violence, as well as the effect of intersecting stigmas related to food insecurity and violence on the lived experiences in order to create sustainable solutions that can solve this problem.