Funding freezes hit food banks

Area residents who rely on local food banks and food pantries that in turn rely on the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank for supplies may not be able to obtain as much fresh milk, eggs, meat and potentially produce as they’ve been accustomed to getting, due to suspensions of federal funding.

One funding “pause” applies to money allocated through the Local Food Purchasing Act passed by the Biden administration during the pandemic and slated to run until 2026 – which this year was expected provide the food bank with $100,000 a month for such “good stuff,” according to Food Bank Executive Director Joe Arthur.

Another pause applies to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which was expected to provide truckloads of milk, eggs, chicken and other meats, along with fresh produce, from April into July, Arthur said.

“We’re already getting notice of (truckload) cancellations,” he said.

In both cases, the funding doesn’t look like it will be reinstated, despite the organization’s ongoing advocacy efforts, Arthur said.

“These two areas are very much (a) concern,” he stated. “Those are substantial matters for us.”

The Local Food Purchasing Act funding amounts to about 10% of the organization’s $1 million-a-month food budget, Arthur said.

It’s hard to replace the milk, eggs and meat, as the organization doesn’t get much of those from its food business donors, Arthur said.

It hasn’t helped that the supply of eggs has been disrupted nationally due to avian flu, he said.

Adding to the distress is the unabated continuation of the hunger crisis, he said.

“We are continuing to have the highest level of demand we’ve ever seen,” he stated.

The organization is trying to mitigate the effects of the sudden funding suspensions as best it can.

One of the ways is by “leaning in hard with our business food donors,” Arthur said.

Another way is by relying on its participating food pantries to help their clients find protein substitutes and recipes that use those substitutes, according to Arthur.

The pantries “are good at being creative to help people make good solid meals,” he said.

Beans are one such protein substitute, he said.

He’s optimistic that the organization will be able to acquire enough fresh produce to satisfy demand.

People who need help with food should continue to patronize the pantries and soup kitchens, he said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.