Northern Colorado butcher hands out $10,000 in free meat amid SNAP concerns

A Northern Colorado butcher has handed out an estimated $10,000 in free product in just two days as Colorado residents continue to navigate uncertainty with SNAP and government furloughs. Friendly Nick's Butcher, owned and operated by Fort Collins resident Nick Chase, has been handing out free product in an effort to help those experiencing food insecurity.

Chase first took to social media on Thursday saying he felt called to action to help those impacted by the government shutdown.

"People are hurting, people need help," Chase said. "I see people facing food insecurity and that hurts me."

With funding to SNAP benefits in flux, and others going nearly a month without a paycheck for their careers under the federal government, Chase decided to start handing out bags of meat and eggs to those impacted.

Those furloughed or with an EBT card were encouraged to visit his shop in order to receive a bag that included one pound of ground beef, one pound of pork shoulder, one pound of chicken breast, one pound of chicken drums or wings and six eggs.

"I knew it was happening and I just had to start doing something," Chase said.

Friendly Nick's Butcher already accepted SNAP prior to the government shutdown. However, Chase is not charging those in need during this handout process. By simply showing your EBT card or other government identification for those furloughed, Chase and his team are handing the bags out without question.

Christopher Baird, a recipient of the food, said he made sure to also purchase some additional meat from the butcher shop as a way to thank Chase for his efforts.

"A lot of people are frustrated right now the way things are going with politics. The left blaming the right and the right blaming the left. But, in the meantime, who is it really hurting? The people," Baird said. "My family, this shutdown is going to cost us $265 a month, which doesn't sound like a lot to some people but that is barely a cart of food anymore. So, any meat assistance is appreciated."

A line of people could be seen filing out of Friendly Nick's Butcher Friday morning as word quickly spread online of the offer.

"Hundreds of people started lining up outside the door. It is not a number, it is people," Chase said. "I thought I would do like 50 of these bags. We did 200 yesterday and we are going to do another 150-to-200 today."

Chase estimated the retail value of each bag at around $25-to-$30, meaning the first two days of giving food away has cost around $10,000. However, Chase is able to get some of the product at a cheaper rate due to purchasing in bulk from providers.

Chase planned on making the effort possible out of his own pocket at first. However, the surrounding Fort Collins community stepped up and started donating to an online fundraiser. After just one day more than $20,000 had been donated to the cause.

While CBS News Colorado was there, other regular customers were coming in to purchase meat and also donating cash.

Chase said he will continue to hand out the bags of food until the funds or the product runs out.

"The amount of response has been overwhelming," Chase said. "We are just going to keep going and feed as many people as we can and hope it helps."