Federal government cancels almost $1M in food shipments to Second Harvest Food Bank

MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee said that 21 tractor-trailer loads containing $722,000 worth of USDA commodities food have been canceled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Officials with Second Harvest said families in East Tennessee who rely on food assistance may soon face shortages as major federal funding cuts to the USDA have disrupted food bank shipments nationwide.

The food was funded by the Commodities Credit Corporation, which is currently paused due to a federal review, Matthew Blondell with Second Harvest said.

Related Coverage: The bottom line is this will affect more than 31,000 East Tennesseans each month across each of the 18 counties we serve.

That program is part of the Emergency Food Assistance Program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to the group, the Trump administration cut extra funding to the program, leading to the cancelation.

“That’s 500 million dollars’ worth of food deliveries nationwide canceled until July while the funding is under review,” Second Harvest said. “The bottom line is this will affect more than 31,000 East Tennesseans each month across each of the 18 counties we serve.”

Second Harvest is taking steps to replace the products at this time. The cancelations, which represent more than 377,000 pounds of food, were scheduled to arrive between April and July, Blondell said.

“While we’re concerned by the diminished capacity to serve our neighbors, we remain committed to strengthening food access for East Tennesseans and provide adequate nutrition for a healthy life,” said Elaine Streno, executive director of Second Harvest. “This is a crucial time for our community to step up. We ask the public to continue supporting our hunger-relief efforts by hosting food drives and providing financial support. Together, we will provide adequate nutrition for more than 200,000 individuals who experience food insecurity.”

Blondell said that families in East Tennessee who rely on food assistance may soon face shortages as major federal funding cuts to the USDA have disrupted food bank shipments nationwide.

For more information about Second Harvest’s food access programs, or to support: SecondHarvestETN.org

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