TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Federal funding cuts are affecting the East Texas Food Bank’s ability to distribute meals to residents in need, the chief executive officer said Wednesday.
“The East Texas Food Bank has been notified that several truckloads of previously expected food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will not be delivered. This food equates to 360,000 pounds valued at $750,000,” David Emerson said. “In addition, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) of the East Texas Food Bank will incur a loss of 756,000 pounds of produce valued at $121,000. This program helps to purchase food produced in the state to support local and regional producers.”
The cuts are due to a $1 billion U.S. Department of Agriculture funding loss, emergency food funding being paused nationwide, and local farmers losing sales as USDA programs are slashed.
Emerson said that if funding continues to be cut, this could severely restrict the food bank’s ability to meet current demand, which has increased from 31 million meals in 2024, to an expected 33 million meals this fiscal year.
Emerson said that one in four East Texas children are food insecure, and one in six adults are.
He asks that concerned East Texans advocate for funding for the food bank by calling your local congressional leader, signing up to volunteer at the food bank, or consider a donation to help them with operations. You can do that here.
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