PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – Food banks and pantries across the country are feeling the effects after the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut more than $1 billion in funding.
The Petal Children’s Task Force is no exception.
“Twice a month we can get USDA,” executive director Demaris Lee said.
The cuts also put an end to several programs, like the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement.
Lee said the task force relies heavily on this program, which helps pantries buy produce, seafood and meat from local farmers.
“We go to Jackson to get food, and they bring food down here,” said Lee.
The task force was notified by email on Tuesday to expect load cancellations.
Lee is hopeful Thursday’s delivery will still make it.
“It’s not nearly enough for a family to survive a week on, really,” said Lee.
But if it doesn’t, many pantries will have to turn to donations or to larger organizations like Extra Table.
Executive Director Martha Allen-Price said concerns are already growing.
“What that means for us is that we’re watching and waiting to see what happens,” said Allen-Price.
Allen-Price tells WDAM 7 Extra Table spends about $85,000 a month on food.
Right now, they just don’t have it.
“We will continue supplying food to our pantries, but we can’t make up for the millions of dollars that could potentially be cut,” Allen-Price said.
The food purchase assistance program is set to end in July.
Despite the changes, the task force is sticking it out.
“We’ll give them what we have,” Lee said. “But if we don’t have the money to buy it, we can’t buy it either.”
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