SZA’s NOT Charity and Jon & Vinny’s Provide 1,400 Free Meals for Los Angeles SNAP Recipients
Published Nov. 10 — Los Angeles
SZA’s nonprofit, NOT Charity, has teamed up with Los Angeles restaurant Jon & Vinny’s to distribute 1,400 complimentary meals to community members whose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been disrupted amid the prolonged government shutdown.
Announcing the partnership on social media, SZA said she didn’t want neighbors to go without while the crisis continues. The restaurant and the artist organized the effort to help those who need it most during this difficult stretch. (Original announcement via SZA’s Instagram.)
See the Instagram post.
Jon & Vinny’s explained that, with SZA’s support, they will provide 100 dinner packages for two people each day for seven days — a total of 1,400 meals — to SNAP recipients. Meals will be distributed at the restaurant’s 4400 W. Slauson Ave. location daily from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., beginning Tuesday and running through Monday, Nov. 17.
SNAP recipients who wish to receive a meal are asked to reserve by emailing
notcharity@jonandvinnys.com. Up to four meals may be requested per household.
The initiative comes as the federal SNAP program has been at the center of legal and political disputes during the government shutdown. The administration returned to the Supreme Court seeking approval to withhold full SNAP payments while the shutdown continues, even though lower courts have ordered that full benefit distributions be maintained for households that depend on the program. News reports indicate millions of families rely on SNAP, and some have turned to food banks or reduced meals amid benefit uncertainty. (Reporting by the Associated Press.)
Read the AP report.
Meanwhile, Congress has seen movement: the Senate approved legislation intended to end the shutdown, and the measure now awaits action in the House. In the meantime, community-led efforts like the Jon & Vinny’s partnership with NOT Charity aim to fill immediate needs while longer-term solutions are pursued.
Jon & Vinny’s asked the public to share the information with anyone who may benefit. “Thank you, SZA, for inspiring us to step up for our neighbors,” the restaurant said in its announcement.
