York County Food Bank
Volunteers put together holiday food boxes to be distributed through York County schools.
Anthony Maenza, York Dispatch
At a time when the need for food aid is greater than ever, The York County Food Bank took a huge blow recently to its mission to get food to those who need it.
Food Bank President and CEO Jennifer Brillhart said shipments of items such as dairy and frozen meat the food bank was anticipating receiving from the federal government were halted as part of the Trump Administration’s budget cuts.
It adds up to a loss of around $1 million in food that the York County Food Bank receives each year that is used to help feed around 40,000 children, seniors and individuals in York County.
“These cuts are just coming at a time when everyone’s struggling, especially the neighbors we are serving,” she said. “It came at an unfortunate time where we’re seeing increased need at many of our pantries and at our food distributions.”
Brillhart said the food bank has not received any word from the federal government if or when those food shipments would be restored.
“They were rather large loads we were anticipating receiving here in the county,” she said. “To make up that difference is going to hurt, but we will figure it out. We will never stop serving our community and the folks that are in need. They will just have to go with a little bit less than what we normally distribute.”
Complicating the situation: The funding cuts come at a time when demand for the Food Bank’s services seems primed to increase.
Congressional Republicans have eyed cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as part of this year’s budget process. SNAP has already seen budget cuts in recent years, with funding decreasing from $119 billion in 2022 to $100 billion in the 2024 fiscal year.
SNAP currently feeds roughly 42 million people, including 1 in 5 children nationwide, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Meanwhile, food prices have rapidly increased nationwide and President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs threaten to accelerate inflation for various foods that are imported from around the globe.
While it’s not yet clear how much of the tariffs will get passed onto U.S. consumers, researchers say any price increases would disproportionately affect low-income households.
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“These are regressive taxes. And for the elementary reason that affluent people do not spend 100% of their incomes and disadvantaged people do,” Steven Durlauf, director of the University of Chicago’s Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility.
Locally, several York County businesses have stepped up to help the Food Bank — at least in the short-term.
Since word has gotten out about the feds halting those food shipments, Brillhart said the nonprofit has seen a spike in food and monetary donations.
“The York County community has always been very generous and very supportive of the work that we do,” Brillhart said.
After the halting of those food shipments from the feds, Brillhart hopes community members will also get the word out to their legislators about the importance of the food bank.
“We partner with statewide organizations Hunger Free PA and Feeding PA and both are working together to have lots of conversations at the state level,” she said. “The governor has already put in a request in his budget to increase a couple of different line items that would help the charitable food system in Pennsylvania.”
Several breweries and drinking establishments are also setting aside a portion of sales to raise money for the food bank in support of their Give Local York fundraising campaign.
Through May 2, at Isaac’s Craft Kitchen and Brewery, $1 from every Hoptimist beer sold at their York locations will be donated directly to York Food Bank as part of Give Local York.
The First Post, located at 3691 E Market St., will be giving $1 for every Tito’s cocktail sold through May 2 to the food bank. On May 2, they’ll match the total amount raised.
While it’s never a good time for such cuts, Brillhart said, with Give Local York is having its annual 24 hours of giving May 1-2, which will give community members a chance to contribute to the non-profit organization. Go to https://www.givelocalyork.org/organizations/york-county-food-bank to give to the food bank during Give Local York.
If you would like to help the York County Food Bank directly, go to https://yorkfoodbank.org/donate/ to donate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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