“I Understand What They’re Feeling”

Jo Ann worked in HR for over twenty-five years before losing her job in 2020. She sent out more than eight thousand applications and still couldn’t find work. When new rules required volunteer hours to keep her benefits, she found her way to Food Bank’s SNAP call center — and found purpose there too.

Every call she takes, she understands on a level most people can’t. She’s on public assistance herself; by the last ten days of the month, her own refrigerator is nearly empty. That’s exactly why she’s good at this work — she doesn’t just walk callers through the SNAP process, she recognizes their frustration, their discouragement, their exhaustion, because she’s lived it.

Jo Ann believes no one in this city should go hungry — not with the resources New York has. So she keeps showing up, one call at a time, helping people get what they need to eat.

Give today — because no one in this city should have to go hungry. Help Jo Ann keep answering the call.

Hunger Action Month is powered by Wonder through the Grubhub Community Fund.

Transcript:

Jo Ann, Food Bank For NYC SNAP Call Center Volunteer:

Hello. Hello. The last ten days of the month, we’re down to, like, nothing in our refrigerator. I’m on public assistance.

I lost my job. I’ve always worked all my life. I, lost my job in twenty twenty and couldn’t find a job. Sent out over eight thousand applications.

I’ve been in HR for over twenty five years. And then they changed the rules for the work, requirements. ABOG came in. So I had to look for volunteer work and I got into the SNAP call center.

Thank you for calling the food bank. How can I help you? I actually love doing it because I’ve always worked in HR. I’ve always wanted to work and help people in all sorts of matters, and I and I can connect with these people that are calling me because I get snap.

So I understand their you know, I understand their frustration. I understand their sadness and discouragement. I understand how HRA works. Okay.

So I’m gonna I’m gonna ask you some information. I’m gonna need your name first of all. If I can do a snap screening and I can help a person get their benefits by advising them how, you know, how to navigate the process, I am very happy doing that because, you know, everything is very expensive, but it is terrible that no one should be going hungry in this city. With so much money that that’s out there, no one should be suffering like this.

Nobody.