Linda James-Rivera on rising food insecurity and neighbors stepping up
Linda James-Rivera founded the Northwest Mutual Aid Collective in 2020 to deliver food directly to homebound neighbors in Northwest Philadelphia. Five years later, demand for her program has only grown. In this interview, conducted by Philadelphia writer and educator Kathryn Rice, Linda discusses the city’s widening hunger crisis, the strain of recent SNAP disruptions, and why community support matters more than ever.
You started the Northwest Mutual Aid Collective during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. What were you doing before then?
Both me and my husband were working for Merck Pharmaceuticals. I was in instrumentation, so I had a team that oversaw 15,000 instruments on the Merck West Point site.
That was quite a different job. What inspired you to make a career change?
When we started this, our goal was just to help feed our neighbors during the pandemic, and then we saw a greater need for people that were falling through the cracks. As we started to see more and more how there was such a need for food in this community, we decided to start a non-profit.
A year and a half in, it was so much work — it was really a full-time job. I sat down with my husband and said, “Listen, what can we afford to do?” We talked about our family’s needs, and I took a big decrease in money to go full-time.
What kind of work does Northwest Mutual Aid do, and how does it differ from a typical food pantry?
At the average food pantry in Philadelphia, people have to come up to a table and get food. Our main program is a home-delivery program — we serve cancer patients, disabled residents, disabled vets. These are people that are homebound and can’t go to a food pantry. So we give a bag of fresh produce, and we give another bag that’s shelf-stable items that also includes bread, milk, meat, and we take it directly to their homes. And we currently serve 85 houses every Saturday.
The mission of your organization is to combat food insecurity. What is food insecurity, and how does it differ from hunger?
Food insecurity is you don’t bring in enough income that you’re able to buy food. The cost of food rises, but the income of the people we serve doesn’t rise at the same rate. The people we serve on Social Security or SSDI, which is for people who are disabled — these people are on a fixed income. A lot of times they have to decide whether to buy food or their medication. When you don’t have enough finances to meet all of your needs, usually what’s left out is food, because people are going to pay their mortgage or their rent because they don’t want to be homeless. They’re going to buy their medication, but what money is left? There’s not enough money left for food.
Given that the cost of groceries has been rising due to inflation, has the percentage of people in Philadelphia experiencing food insecurity grown?
Yes! Philadelphia is one of the largest food-insecure cities. There is a 26% food-insecurity rate in Germantown. That’s a lot. During the pandemic it rose, like 30%, but the number hasn’t gone down. The number is increasing because they’re cutting things like SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits.
Back in September, they quietly cut some of SNAP from the budget. I have a person that went from getting $296 to $46. What are you doing with $46? I have a senior who’s 85 years old, and she gets $23 in SNAP. What is she buying with that? So the rate [of food-insecure people] is going up because the government is cutting out some of these benefits.
I did want to ask you about SNAP. The Trump Administration paused the program for nearly two weeks at the start of November. How did that pause affect the people you serve?
The people we serve were okay because we’ve been serving them all year. We increased the amount of food that we gave to the people in our program. Since November 1st, our program grew 30% because the need is so great. These people were already food insecure before SNAP happened, so now they’re looking at places like me saying, “Hey, I didn’t know you existed. Can you help me?” So now, all of a sudden, we are being requested more and more. In two weeks, we took on 15 new houses that we serve every week, and we have a current waiting list of 22 people.
After the Trump Administration announced that it was going to pause SNAP, both Governor Josh Shapiro and Mayor Cherelle Parker announced initiatives to funnel money into non-profits distributing food to people in need. I’m sure your organization appreciates extra support, but can non-profits really replace a federal program like SNAP?
No. People depend on SNAP benefits. Some people get more money off SNAP — not everyone gets $46 or $23; there are people that get $150. Every dollar matters. If that money goes away, the need for food doesn’t. All they’re going to do is put a strain on places like NWMA. It’s critical for SNAP to stay in place.
SNAP benefits resumed after the government shutdown ended, but the state of Pennsylvania is estimating that 64% of residents will lose their benefits as the result of new program requirements that took effect on November 1st. If that estimate turns out to be true, what would it mean for a city like Philadelphia, where 30% of the population receives food stamps? Are we looking at a crisis?
We’re already in a crisis. Let’s just make that clear. Food insecurity in the city of Philadelphia is on the rise, so we’re already in a crisis. It would be devastating to the city of Philadelphia. There’d be no way we could come back from this.
How can people support the work you are doing at Northwest Mutual Aid?
We have a lot of opportunities for people who want to help. Even if you have a disability, you still have useful skills. You can go to our website, sign up to volunteer. There’s also a donate page for donations, if you’re able. There’s no amount that’s too small. We have people who give $5 a month. If that’s what you can give, that’s what you can give. We’re thankful for the $5 a month just like we’re thankful for the $5,000, so there’s no amount that’s too small. We can use every cent.
I’ve heard stories about Philadelphians stepping up to help others when SNAP benefits froze. Did the community in Northwest Philadelphia come together this month in any ways that made you proud?
I love my community. All of our board members are either from the community we serve or currently live in the community we serve. All our 36 volunteers that come on a regular basis are from the community we serve. When this happened, this community went out and fundraised for us, they did food drives for us, they came and they helped out, they took food to people that couldn’t get out. I have never been so proud of my community as I’ve been now.
Philadelphia loves hard. When they love you, they will go out of their way for you. This community has loved on us in a way that is just unbelievable.
The Work Continues
Northwest Mutual Aid continues to deliver food every week to dozens of homebound neighbors — and the waiting list keeps growing. As benefit cuts and rising costs squeeze more families, Linda says the work will only become more critical. But she’s confident in the thing that has carried the organization from day one: the strength and generosity of Northwest Philadelphia.
SMALL ACTS, BIG IMPACT
If you’re able, Northwest Mutual Aid invites volunteers to help pack and deliver groceries, organize food drives, or chip in a few dollars a month. Every bit helps. Get involved and make a real difference in your neighbors’ lives.
Northwest Mutual Aid Collective
4647 Stenton Ave. Units 18 and 20
484-640-2792 | 267-385-7163
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
Thoughts? Comments? Please leave them below or email editors@nwlocalpaper.com. If you enjoyed this piece, don’t miss Kathryn’s seasonal stories on winter solstice and Dry January.
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