In March, the Trump administration announced that the U.S. Agriculture Department would be required to cut $1 billion in federal funding from schools and food banks.
Part of those cuts included a pause on the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which would have supplied $421 million in funding this year to food banks across the country.
Another $500 million in deliveries to food banks via the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation have also been halted.
And the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program has paused its scheduled shipments.
According to Reuters, food banks “already strained by raising demand” say they “will have less food to distribute” because of these funding decisions.
One such case is the Food Bank of Delaware, which stands to lose an estimated 750,000 pounds — the equivalent of about 19 truckloads of about 900,000 meals — to the funding cuts.
It’s a harsh reality for food bank leaders who are already stretching their budgets to meet the needs of their communities.
“We’re constantly figuring out how we will pivot if we need to,” Food Bank of Delaware president and CEO Cathy Kanefsky told WDEL News.
“Are we going to be in the position where we can provide the food that we've been providing to the numbers of people that we have been providing it for? We don't know.”
To help alleviate these new challenges, members of the Delaware House Democratic Caucus held a donation drive at the Food Bank of Delaware.
“We’re collecting food, have a volunteer evening inside, and we're also trying to bring awareness,” Democratic State Rep. Eric Morrison told WDEL News.
“Between April and July alone, the Food Bank [of Delaware] is going to lose 900,000 meals that they would normally give out,” he added. “This is devastating to the people who use the food banks — seniors, children, individuals with disabilities, and families who are barely scraping by. It’s a lot of folks.”
Caucus members were not the only local leaders who have been helping. Delaware Governor Matt Meyer has also joined in on food and funds drives, creating weekend meal kits and supporting the efforts of the community.
Republican State Senator Dave Wilson was also in attendance, helping process donations from dozens of cars lined up with food to share.
“It’s not about Democrat, or Republican, or independents,” State Sen. Wilson told WBOC News. “Everybody has a hunger need. We’re just here to help serve.”
It’s unclear exactly how much funds the food bank has raised, let alone how much food has been donated, in response to the funding cuts. Facebook posts from the organization share milestones like 5,000 pounds and 2,475 pounds donated at recent drives.
As helpful as it is, they will need more support to make up for the loss.
“Anybody who thinks that one in five children going to bed hungry [in Delaware] is okay has got to help us figure out how to make that not happen,” Kanefsky told WDEL. “We’re going to try to figure out how to continue to feed those babies.”
State Rep. Morrison amplified those sentiments, calling on the community to continue rallying for those most in need.
“A lot of people feel that unless they’re in an elected office, they can’t do anything, but it’s not true,” State Rep. Morrison added. “We really need people volunteering at the food bank.”
“We are a beautiful state that takes care of each other,” Kanefsky told Coast TV, as well. “I have no doubt that’s what will happen, but we need everyone.”
Whether that help comes in the form of donated food, dollars, volunteer hours, or even a call to one’s federal officials to help restore funding, Kanefsky emphasized that she is energized for the efforts ahead.
“There are a lot of people that need us. Everybody knows what’s going on right now, and the need for our services has not gone down,” she told WDEL. “Now we’re finding it harder to meet that need, but that means there are people there that are needing us even more, and we’re motivated.”
She hopes volunteers feel the same.
“Nobody in this world knows what tomorrow’s going to bring; for anybody to think that they're not going to need help, someday — I hope that they don’t,” Kanefsky added to WDEL. “But most likely they will, and I think the people that are able to see that, see the world in a different way… see the opportunity to help as a calling.”
Header image courtesy of Food Bank of Delaware
