When Manny’s Cafeteria and Delicatessen posted on social media that they’d be handing out free meals to SNAP recipients starting Nov. 1, the line the next day started forming at 3 a.m. The deli doesn’t open until 8.
Dan Raskin, owner of Manny’s Deli in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood, said the restaurant initially planned to give away 100 meals a day through Nov. 9, but it quickly jumped to 300 after customers started asking if they could donate to the cause. After Sunday, the deli had to pause to reorder more food, but has plans to unveil larger meal drops at a third-party location in the city.
Disruptions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often referred to as food stamps, during what has become the longest government shutdown in American history, have left recipients without adequate funds to buy food. The delay has forced millions of families to make do with small collections from food banks or the generosity of restaurants. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 2 million people in Illinois are enrolled in SNAP.
Raskin said that helping those facing disruptions to SNAP was a top priority for the family-run deli. Dozens of restaurants across Chicago seem to share that sentiment and are handing out free meals to impacted individuals and families, at a time when many local restaurants are struggling to survive as intense immigration enforcement has kept customers at home and dining rooms empty.
The first two days of the offer, staff at Manny’s Deli made the meals to order before they pivoted to a pre-packed meal kit of a sandwich (corned beef, turkey or pastrami), a potato pancake, pickles, a blondie bar from Eli’s Cheesecake and a drink.
For Jennifer Avrick, 46, a SNAP recipient who is unable to work due to a disability, the sandwich at Manny’s was a “godsend.” She went to the deli a few times last week with her sister, who is also disabled.
More Top Picks Meters Soil
“We needed the food,” Avrick said. “We also went to some food pantries and looked for other restaurants that gave out food, but it’s hard to get around.”
Avrick said she receives a total of $23 a month loaded onto her SNAP card. With the changes in benefits for November, she received a partial payment of $16 on Monday. Her 52-year-old sister usually gets $100 in SNAP benefits, but this month only received $12. Avrick said it’s impossible to get groceries with so little money, so they will find a way to make extra trips to nearby food banks in Jefferson Park.
At Manny’s, customers and volunteers alike have supported the effort to feed families without the safety net of SNAP. Tom Hoskinson, a South Loop resident who frequents the deli for a towering corned beef sandwich, helped out with crowd control.
“I talk to the people that are in line — start out with a very light-hearted greeting, welcoming them and joking with them, and just treating them like human beings because some of them walk up with their eyes down,” Hoskinson said. “I think a lot of them just feel bad about having to get assistance. But they shouldn’t feel that way, we’re trying to do something that not only helps you eat, it gives you some of your dignity back.”
Raskin said the daily operations of running a deli while spending the early morning hours packaging and handing out meal kits were straining the staff. But with donations that keep flooding in from customers to sustain the free meals, Raskin said his team will soon start larger distributions to better serve the community. He said his family is committed to continuing to provide free meals, but in a way that’s easier for all.
Similarly, at Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria, chef and owner Juan Lisandro Ramirez has taken a more targeted approach. Every day from 3-5 p.m., until SNAP and WIC benefits are restored, Ramirez’s staff at all three of his locations in Andersonville, River North and Pilsen will distribute a free meal to children and pregnant women.
The meal options for kids include either two fried potato and veggie tacos or two quesadillas — each served with rice, beans, corn and a drink. The “expecting mother” meal is either an enchilada dinner or the tacos dorado dinner with a drink.
Ramirez said he had to limit who he could offer a free meal to because the cost is coming out of his pocket.
But to extend the arm a bit further, Ramirez taped up “meal tickets” on most corners of 18th Street near his location in Pilsen and outside grocery stores. People can simply take a ticket clipping off a pole and swing by any of Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria locations for some warm burritos or enchiladas.
“That’s for anyone who is hungry and wants a hot meal,” he said. “But honestly, anyone can come in at any time if you’re really hungry. We can just give you, but we do have to set some standards to make it easier to do this.”
Ramirez said he felt obligated to join the growing number of restaurants offering free food this November.
“I know the struggle, I grew up in Back of the Yards and we used to have food stamps — now what we have is food and the least I can do is donate some meals and my time,” he said, adding that he remembers applying for SNAP benefits while in college. “Even now, some of my family members rely on food assistance. I know how important it is.”
Man-yee Lee, the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s director of communications, said the current situation is unprecedented.
“Anything that is different from the norm of how (SNAP funds) are dispersed is absolutely unreasonable and every day that goes by, we’re asking people to go without food,” Lee said.
On Monday, President Donald Trump’s administration returned to the Supreme Court in a bid to prevent the release of full frozen payments from the SNAP program.
The back-and-forth court rulings have led to confusion and frustration. Last week, lower courts ruled that the government must continue making full payments, and the Supreme Court asked the administration to respond after an appeals court ruled against it late Sunday.
The high court has so far allowed the administration to keep full payments on hold, and is expected to decide on the latest request Tuesday. If the justices do not intervene, the full payments would be required to resume again late Tuesday.
SNAP benefits are loaded onto electronic benefit transfer cards, which work like debit cards at grocery stores that accept them. Although the USDA funds the program, individual states are responsible for distributing the payments.
On Friday, the Illinois Department of Human Services updated its webpage with information on SNAP issuance, noting that because the Trump administration had not complied with court orders to provide full funding for November SNAP benefits, the state could not distribute full benefits for the month. Partial benefits, however, are being paid — the maximum allotment for November will be up to 65% of what’s typically issued each month. Some customers will not receive any benefit for November because of new federal requirements.
In a statement to the Tribune, a spokesperson for Gov. JB Pritzker said Illinois resumed issuance of SNAP benefits to participants based on the reduced funding levels advised by the USDA.
“Despite having the money to sustain and fully fund SNAP during his ongoing shutdown, Donald Trump is choosing to challenge a court-ordered ruling that requires his federal government to pay for their own program — one that millions of Americans’ livelihoods depend on,” the spokesperson said.
While benefits are partially restored, families will likely rely on participating restaurants and food banks for an extended period, as it remains unclear exactly how much beneficiaries will receive or how quickly they will see a balance appear.
Rosa Gonzalez, manager of the perpetually fall-themed October Cafe, said they wanted to be accessible for families of all sizes with their free meal offer to customers thrown into the SNAP uncertainty.
“It’s for each individual family member,” Gonzalez said. “They can come back every day this month, as many times as they need to.”
In the meal kits, which are available from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., customers will find hash browns, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, lemonade and bottled water. The free meals are funded by business contributions and donations from customers, Gonzalez said.
“In times like this, it’s just so great to see how quickly people jump in to help,” she said. “It’s the only way we’ll get through everything that’s going on.”
Back at Manny’s, Hoskinson said around 40 people were waiting in line at 6 a.m. on Nov. 4. He told them and others who were walking by that, as long as they had a free meal ticket secured, they could sit in their car or somewhere warm instead of waiting outside.
“Some people have to drop their kids off at school and can’t wait for their meal,” he said. “We told them they can come back before 10:30 — have some time to take care of stuff, and do what they have to do. As long as they have a ticket, they can come back and get their free meal.”
Manny’s Deli offered two meals per SNAP card.
“The sandwiches are big — they’re not making them small, they’re giving people the entire Manny’s experience,’’ Hoskinson said. “You have to almost cut them down to make them fit in your mouth because there’s so much meat in it.”
Hoskinson, a retired police officer and former member of the Army Reserve, said he was thrilled to see the community benefit from money that’s been donated by people who can afford to help.
“Because no matter what your politics are, if people are getting hurt and not eating, that’s a problem no matter what,” he said.
More Top Picks Best Salad Spinner
Manny’s Deli, 1141 S. Jefferson St., 312-939-2855, mannysdeli.com
October Cafe, 6046 N. Avondale Ave., 773-397-9986, octobercafe.com
Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria, multiple locations, penelopesvegantaqueria.com
Other Chicago restaurants offering free food to SNAP recipients:
Canton Regio, free roasted chickens every Tuesday, 1510 W. 18th St., 312-733-3045, canton-regio.com
CheSa’s Bistro, 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays, 3235 W. Addison St., 773-754-8523, chesasbistro.com
Edgebrook Coffee Shop, free pancakes and bacon to anyone who presents a SNAP card and matching ID, 6322 N. Central Ave., 773-657-3974, edgebrookcoffeeshop.com
Imee’s Kitchen, 141 W. Jackson Blvd., 312-248-8127, imeeskitchen.com
Kale My Name, 3-5 p.m. daily, 3300 W. Montrose Ave., 872-208-7125, kalemyname.com
Paulie Gee’s, free kids’ cheese pizza for SNAP recipients with children, 2451 N. Milwaukee Ave., pauliegee.com
Ponce Restaurant, 200 free meals on a first-come, first-served basis at the intersection of Wrightwood and Kostner on Nov. 18 at 2 p.m., 4313 W. Fullerton Ave., 773-486-3148 poncerestaurant.com
R&A Sourdough, 1938 W. Lawrence Ave. and 942 W. Huron St., randasourdough.com
R Public House, free family-sized take-out meals for pick-up or delivery starting at 3 p.m., 872-208-7916, rpublichouse.com
Smack Dab Chi, free community dinner first Wednesday of the month; next one scheduled for Dec. 3, 6730 N. Clark St. smackdabchicago.com
More Top Picks Best 18 Scale Rc Cars
The SoulFood Lounge, noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday at 3804 W. 16th St., 773-799-0620, thesoulfoodlounge.com
The Stopalong, free 16-inch pizza through Nov. 16 at both of its locations, 2210 N. California Ave. and 1812 N. Milwaukee Ave, (773) 394-4694, thestopalong.com
Wooden Paddle, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily through November at 212 Stephen St., Lemont, 630-326-8150 and 23 Calendar Ave., La Grange, 708-571-2345, woodenpaddle.com