The Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is about to face significant challenges as federal funding cuts go into effect.The nonprofit provides over 80 million meals a year, making it the largest charitable food provider in central Florida. A funding freeze of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) within the Department of Agriculture could seriously change how Second Harvest operates.The funding freeze and cuts to USDA food delivery programs are part of a larger push by the Trump administration to curb government spending.Greg Higgerson, Second Harvest’s chief development officer, said, “We hope that the paused funding is going to be unfrozen at some point because in the meantime, in the short term, it means that thousands of families aren’t going to get access to that very fresh, nutritious food that comes directly from farmers.”The CCC funds various programs for domestic and international agriculture, including The Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provided around $25 million to Second Harvest in its fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.Losing that source of funding is something Second Harvest couldn’t plan for. “What that means is that we’re going to have about a million less pounds of food in the short term here that we’re going to have to come up with,” Higgerson said.He said that half a million families are in need of food assistance on any given day. Low-income families, individuals experiencing homelessness, and working families will be impacted the most if the federal funds aren’t re-authorized.”We’re going to come up with that food one way or the other because people have to eat in central Florida. So, in times of crisis throughout our history, the community rises up and helps,” Higgerson said.
The Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is about to face significant challenges as federal funding cuts go into effect.
The nonprofit provides over 80 million meals a year, making it the largest charitable food provider in central Florida. A funding freeze of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) within the Department of Agriculture could seriously change how Second Harvest operates.
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The funding freeze and cuts to USDA food delivery programs are part of a larger push by the Trump administration to curb government spending.
Greg Higgerson, Second Harvest’s chief development officer, said, “We hope that the paused funding is going to be unfrozen at some point because in the meantime, in the short term, it means that thousands of families aren’t going to get access to that very fresh, nutritious food that comes directly from farmers.”
The CCC funds various programs for domestic and international agriculture, including The Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provided around $25 million to Second Harvest in its fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.
Losing that source of funding is something Second Harvest couldn’t plan for. “What that means is that we’re going to have about a million less pounds of food in the short term here that we’re going to have to come up with,” Higgerson said.
He said that half a million families are in need of food assistance on any given day. Low-income families, individuals experiencing homelessness, and working families will be impacted the most if the federal funds aren’t re-authorized.
“We’re going to come up with that food one way or the other because people have to eat in central Florida. So, in times of crisis throughout our history, the community rises up and helps,” Higgerson said.
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