How Christian Women in Business Stepped Up During the SNAP Pause

A nonprofit founder and website designer turned their platforms into support systems for families facing food insecurity.

When the federal government shut down in October 2025, millions of Americans who rely on SNAP benefits were left waiting. With no budget deal in place, the U.S. Department of Agriculture warned states that it couldn’t fund November SNAP payments. While some states tried to issue partial assistance, many families received nothing at all.

During the SNAP pause, Christian women in business were among those who stepped up. In cities across the country, women of faith and nonprofit leaders began filling the gaps in ways they could. Two of them were Jess Freeman and Cheya Thousand.

Jess Freeman turned client work into food bank donations

Jess Freeman is a web designer and SEO strategist. She runs Jess Creatives, where she helps nutrition and fitness pros get found, trusted, and booked with websites that actually match their expertise. When news broke about the SNAP pause, she didn’t have a detailed plan or campaign. But she felt compelled to do something.

“It wasn’t a fancy marketing idea or part of any big plan,” Freeman said. “I just felt like God was nudging me to use my business to give back.”

She decided to match donations from clients and followers — up to $20,000 to food banks across the country. So far, she’s donated up to $9,000 to hunger relief organizations.

“My faith is a steady, quiet part of who I am,” she said. “I’m not someone who posts Bible verses or worship lyrics online. I’d rather let my actions reflect what I believe. Especially in a time when there’s so much skepticism and inconsistency among people of faith, I want to live in a way that builds trust.”

Freeman also hopes her decision encourages other small business owners who want to make an impact, even without a huge platform.

“I’m a very ordinary, small business. I don’t make millions of dollars,” she said. “But by following God’s leading and taking action with what I do have, I’ve seen how generosity multiplies. My hope is that it encourages others to look for their own way to give, and to realize that even small steps can create real change.”

In Jacksonville, Worth Pursuing Inc. focused on food access

Cheya Thousand founded Worth Pursuing Inc. in 2022. Her nonprofit supports vulnerable families in Florida’s Clay and Duval counties through hunger relief, education, and access to mental health care.

“In the counties we serve, the biggest need is food insecurity,” she said. “This was a huge need prior to the pause which has only been exasperated since the pause.”

The organization usually delivers groceries directly to families through its website. But during the shutdown, Thousand and her team paused deliveries and focused on larger partnerships. They organized a two-day food distribution event at a local mall and planned another with a free clinic to support patients.

“The name of the organization is Worth Pursuing Inc., based on the Bible scriptures Matt 18:22 and 25:40,” she said. “We are called to Love. Serve. Build. the community. We love people the way God loves us, we serve them in ways that reflect that love, and we build trust in order to offer support in critical areas.”

“My prayer is that we are an answer to prayer for those in need and that in all that we do the community see’s Christ,” she said.

Worth Pursuing is currently raising funds through its Nourish and Neighbor campaign. As of publishing this story, it has raised $748 dollars toward a $3,000 goal.

Donations can be made at givebutter.com/nourishandneighbor.

What the SNAP Pause Revealed

SNAP benefits have resumed after Congress passed a bill in mid-November to fund the program through the end of the fiscal year. Still, many families went weeks without the support they rely on.

The pause didn’t simply interrupt food access. It als revealed how fragile the system really is. And it made space for people who didn’t wait to be told what to do.

“I’m a very ordinary, small business. I don’t make millions of dollars,” Freeman said. “But by following God’s leading and taking action with what I do have, I’ve seen how generosity multiplies.”

Thousand sees it in the same way. Her nonprofit was built for moments like this.

“We are called to Love. Serve. Build. the community,” she said. “We love people the way God loves us, we serve them in ways that reflect that love, and we build trust in order to offer support in critical areas.”