Retailers already know how busy the holiday season can become, but with that comes challenges. The holidays can be expensive for Americans, which is a challenge for anyone but especially for SNAP recipients.

The average price of a Thanksgiving meal in 2021 was $53.31, according to Statista. A SNAP family of 4 receives a maximum of $939 a month, with the average being $718. This breaks down to a maximum of $58.69 per person per week, but the more accurate estimate would be the average which is $44.88 per person per week.

So, for SNAP recipients one Thanksgiving meal is around the cost of a week groceries for an entire person meaning that SNAP recipients have to drastically alter their budget to be able to enjoy the holidays with their families.

Here are 3 ways you can support SNAP recipients during the holiday season…

1.  Volunteer

Volunteer at your local food bank, soup kitchen, or food pantry this season. The holiday season can be a busy time for these places, and volunteers are always needed. Your volunteer responsibilities could include passing out food at a holiday meal pick up, serving a warm holiday meal, or delivering boxes of food to those who can't make it to their local pantry, according to Feeding America.

2.  Fundraise

Fundraise at your store. Since volunteer spots can fill up quickly during the holiday season, you can consider running a fundraiser for your local food pantry, or you could raise funds to donate turkeys and other Thanksgiving meal foods to low-income families in your area.

3.  Run a food drive   

Host a food drive at your store, ask for donations of canned goods and donate them to the local food pantry, food bank, or soup kitchen. This is another great way to support these organizations in the event that you don’t have time to volunteer this season.

SNAP-Ed also provides a variety of budget friendly holiday menu ideas that can be viewed here.