Food Banks Are Left Figuring Out How to Meet Needs Amid USDA Changes
When the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) paused $50 million worth of food delivery nationwide, local food banks and their community partners were left to figure out how to respond.
Local Food for Schools, Child Care Cooperative Agreement (LFSCC), and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement programs (LFPA25) are no longer available because they do not meet current goals, a USDA spokesperson confirmed with 7 News Detroit.
This news is hitting community organizations like the Gleaners Community Food Pantry of Southeast Detroit hard.
Gleaners Community Food Pantry of Southeast Detroit said its organization expects a 1.4 million pound deficit that, if left unfilled, would impact approximately 25,000 families. The organization provides food to approximately 350 local pantries.
“We get that donated from retailers, manufacturers, and farmers, and we get all of that food in mass quantities that some of our partner agencies, soup kitchens, schools wouldn’t be able to manage on their own. We collect that large amount of food. We separate it out into orders that our partners can manage based on the households they serve, and then the households will get food directly from them or from our drive through operations that are around Southeast Michigan,” said Kristin Sokul, senior director of advancement communications, marketing and media/PR.
Sokul confirmed her organization is beginning to witness food supplies decrease, and she anticipates that in the months to come, the situation will only continue to worsen.
In respone, Sokul said, her organization has begun active fundraising and investing $250,000 of their reserves to help their partner agencies purchase the food they need.
To donate, volunteer, or learn more about how you can support Gleaners, visit the organization’s website.
