When Josh White made the decision to open Heretic Coffee Co. in Portland, Oregon, he knew he wanted the shop to be community focused.
The 37-year-old said he grew up watching "Cheers" and wanted his shop to have the same familiar feeling as the bar in the show, a place that sees its patrons as more than just customers.
"We wanted to know what was going on in their life. We wanted to have dog treats for their dogs. Like, we wanted to be a part of their life," White said, in a recent interview with ABC News Digital.
When White realized that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP -- the federally funded program often referred to as "food stamps" -- could potentially run dry on Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown, it was that same ethos that compelled the owner to offer a free breakfast, including a breakfast burrito and a coffee, to any customer that might be in need, starting next month.
"It was a very simple thing. We have food. And we can give away that food to people who are hungry," White said. "It's just the fact that our government is going to let people go hungry, and we're not OK with that."
White said he fully understands the financial implications of offering free breakfasts to an unspecified number of people at his coffee shop.
"We had a couple of people tell us, like, 'You know, you're going to be bankrupt in a week,'" he said. "We responded and said, 'That's fine. If we literally have to shut our doors, if we go broke making sure children have food for breakfast, I'm really OK if that's the reason why we lose our business."
What White may not have anticipated is the outpouring of support from across the entire community, as business owners and others looked for ways to support White's effort to feed disadvantaged Portlanders.
White said he set up a donation page over the weekend at the suggestion of a social media user, in order to help fund the free breakfast effort. By Monday, he said he had received $14,000.
Donations kept pouring in, and by Tuesday, according to the shop's social media account, $70,000 had been donated.
The donation total stood at over $184,000 as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the shop's Instagram.
SNAP benefits could cease on Nov. 1 if the government shutdown, which is nearing the one-month mark, continues, according to the Department of Agriculture. The Trump administration has said it won't tap into a federal contingency fund that would keep the benefits flowing through part of November.
That lapse in funding would affect around 42 million Americans.
If Congress passes legislation to reopen the government or finds a way to continue SNAP benefits past Nov. 1, the shop said it has a backup plan.
"First, know this: every single dollar will be used for supplying food for people who have lost their SNAP benefits," Heretic Coffee Co. wrote in a Threads post Monday. "If for some reason SNAP is reinstated and there is money in this fund, we will *publicly* figure out the best route forward."
The shop said it plans to "keep the donation portal open for as long as people want to contribute," and if funds are left after SNAP benefits are reinstated, the business would potentially donate the balance to a local food bank or create an ongoing "community meal program," where anyone who needs a meal can get one, "no questions asked."
Reflecting on the outpouring of support for the coffee shop's fundraising effort thus far, White said, "I hope people take away that when the system fails us, it's up to one another to make sure one another is taken care of. It's up to businesses to help communities, and it's up to us personally to help our neighbors."
If Nov. 1 arrives and SNAP benefits cease, the shop will move ahead with the free breakfast effort. White said anyone who needs a free meal at that point would be able to request one discretely. Customers can approach the counter as if they are placing a regular order and request a "SNAP breakfast," at which point the cashier would input a fully complementary meal into the register.
"There is this cultural embarrassment that comes with saying, 'I have to use something like EBT or SNAP in order to buy my food,'" he said. He added that his own upbringing in "a low-income household" helped him understand the need for patrons to feel comfortable asking for assistance without the pressure of social stigma.
"We don't want them to feel like this is just a handout. We want them to feel like an everyday regular person," he said.
White said the kind of community activism he has seen in Portland in recent days is characteristic of how supportive communities act in times of need.
"It is usually, typically not the governments that make movements go forward. It is everyday people," he said. "It's everyday businesses just saying, 'We're not going to let people starve, and we're going to take care of them.'"
He added that the groundswell of community support for his shop's free meal effort is emblematic of what it means to be an American and a Portlander.
"This is very much what our city is known for. If you need something, if the system can't assist you, we'll cover the rest," he said.
Heretic Coffee Co. is not the only business stepping up in order to support community members in need while the government remains shut down.
Oakland, California, eatery Puerto Rican Street Cuisine, as well as the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Urban Hotdog Company and some locations of Chicken Salad Chick, a southeastern food chain, are among the many business nationwide working to provide food for those impacted by the shutdown.
Small businesses represent just one option for families in need of assistance. Nonprofit groups, parents and dietitians have also called on community members to hand out nonperishable food items along with candy on Halloween, in order to potentially assist some of the millions of Americans currently served by SNAP.
The recommendations come at a crucial time, as food banks across the country are preparing for a surge in demand among already vulnerable populations.
Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, released a statement on Oct. 24, urging the government to release SNAP funds "without delay," noting that "families everywhere are on the brink of, or have already been forced to make, impossible choices between food and other necessities like housing and health care."
"The most challenging and heartbreaking situation for staff members and volunteers is when the pantry shelves are empty, and they must turn people away -- veterans, seniors, families with young children," she wrote. "Yet, with increasing demand and the high cost of food, this is already the harsh reality for so many and, without immediate action, will become a reality for countless more people across the country."
Some larger companies are also finding ways to pitch in and help those in need.
Food delivery company DoorDash has said it is "waiving merchant fees for all 300+ Project DASH partner food banks, food pantries, and community organizations nationwide throughout November, equal to an estimated 1 million meals."
Project DASH works with partner organizations to deliver food directly to those who need it, including people experiencing food insecurity who also face barriers to access such as transportation or mobility issues, according to its website.
DoorDash said it will also waive "delivery and service fees for an estimated 300,000 grocery orders for SNAP recipients at Sprouts, Dollar General, Schnucks, Food Lion, Giant Foods, The GIANT Company, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle, and Wegmans."
In addition, the company says it plans to donate food from its "DashMart" stores to local food banks.
Gopuff, another popular food delivery service, is offering free $50 credit for SNAP-eligible items and free delivery.
"Gopuff is committing up to $10 million in total relief, offering $50 worth of groceries for free -- broken into two $25 credits during the month of November -- to customers who have a SNAP EBT card connected to their Gopuff account, or who add their SNAP EBT card," the company said in a press release.
The program will run in two waves, with one in each half of November, Gopuff said.
"At Gopuff, we're committed to showing up in the ways that matter most to the people and communities we serve," the company stated.
