The Trump administration has canceled a COVID-era program that delivered $11 million worth of fresh food to Central Florida’s largest food bank annually, a significant budget cut that comes as growing numbers of residents struggle to afford groceries.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida learned in late March that an expected shipment of 28 flatbed trucks filled with produce, meat and milk had been halted.
The regional food bank hoped that was the result of a temporary decision by the White House and that the program, which purchased food from farmers and shipped it to food banks nationwide, would resume.
But last week, Second Harvest learned the U.S. Department of Agriculture program, which “paused” its March shipment, has canceled all its orders for the year.
Unless Second Harvest can raise $11 million to make up for that loss — and there is no obvious source to turn to — it will have far less food to distribute to the more than 700 agencies it serves across the region, from small church-run pantries to large nonprofits like the Salvation Army. And those agencies will have far less to hand out to needy residents.
“I can plan for a gradual decrease. We plan for these types of anomalies all the time,” said Derrick Chubbs, Second Harvest’s CEO. “But this is a big one.”
Last year, Second Harvest distributed 100 million pounds of food across Central Florida, the equivalent of about 300,000 meals each day. The federal cut could mean that amount falls by 15% to 25%, Chubbs said.
USDA has said the program was meant to help communities during the pandemic, not to continue indefinitely.
This week, the agency in an emailed statement said it had sent other money to the states to help food banks, but it wasn’t clear what funds it was referring to. A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees the state’s food and nutrition programs, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Holly Bullard of the Florida Policy Institute said cuts to food banks seem part of an overall federal strategy to limit programs that help low-income residents or shift those cost to states. The Trump administration is also looking to cut spending on SNAP, previously called the food stamp program, she noted, and that could cost Florida more than $600 million, a price tag it cannot afford.
“These cuts on top of proposed cuts would be devastating for Florida’s communities, for farmers and economies, and food insecurity would skyrocket,” she said.
The cancellation of fresh food deliveries is an immediate a blow to Second Harvest and to food banks nationwide, particularly as it comes amid an increased demand for help.
Last year, the food pantry at The Kingdom Church in Pine Hills, for example, served about 900 families a month. In the last two months, that number has climbed to 2,100 families.
Shay Freeman, who oversees the church pantry that gets most of its food from Second Harvest, said in the last couple weeks she hasn’t had enough fresh food to hand out.
“We’ll try and take care of them the best we can. So sometimes … we may only be able to give them canned goods,” Freeman said.
United MegaCare, a global philanthropic organization, hosted a food giveaway at the church April 9 in conjunction with its annual leadership conference held in Orlando this year.
Before the event, organizers assessed the region’s needs and decided food insecurity was a major problem. The Dallas-based organization gave away 1,500 boxes of food, worth $225,000, and there were cars waiting outside the church hours before the event kicked off.
The same was true at Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe’s food giveaway held last month at Colonial High School.
She hosts the events ahead of school breaks with food she gets from Second Harvest because she knows families struggle when kids lose access to free meals on campus. Usually, it takes about three hours to pass out 350 boxes of food.
But at her Spring Break event, cars began lining up for the 9 a.m. event at 5 a.m., she said. There were so many vehicles that police implored Uribe to start early because the line was disrupting traffic.
“By the time the food drive was supposed to start, we’d already run out of food,” Uribe said.
There were about 75 cars still in line when she handed out the last box.
None of this surprises Chubbs. Inflation, rising housing costs and low wages mean many Central Florida residents struggle to pay for food, he said.
“We know that working families are taking a hit. At the end of the day, this is still a hospitality town, and that’s about a $15 an hour revenue stream for so many of the people. And the math just does not work for them anymore,” he said.
Second Harvest, which already relies on corporate and private donations for half its annual $40 million budget, is appealing to the public for extra support now as it looks for other sources of money.
Uribe said local governments cannot make up what Second Harvest lost without cutting deeply elsewhere.
“Our law enforcement, our services, our parks, all of that is coming from the same pool, even arts, all of these things are coming from the same funds,” Urbine said. “We’re in a tough spot. It’s like a perfect storm.”
Pastor Megan Collins of Maitland Presbyterian Church said it is not realistic for the community to make up the difference — but it is important for everyone to do what they can.
So she and other faith leaders are hosting a food drive for Second Harvest next month. They are asking for donations of nonperishable foods, which can be dropped off at Maitland Presbyterian from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on May 4.
Collins said she hopes the event will bring more food to the agency and raise awareness.
“It’s extremely frustrating that these federal cuts are having such an impact in Central Florida, and it falls now to those of us here to stand in the gap,” Collins said. “Basic human rights and dignity, things like having enough food on your table, are things that are the responsibility of all of us to take care of.”
Originally Published: April 17, 2025 at 6:29 AM EDT
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