USDA cuts hit Virginia food banks as lawmakers demand answers

NORFOLK, Va. — There are growing concerns for food banks and pantries as federal dollars are slashed, leaving some Virginia low-income families in a difficult position.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced it was ending part of the Emergency Food Assistance Program, otherwise known as TEFAP. This comes among ongoing efforts to reduce the size of the federal government and its programs by the Trump administration.

Bob Latvis, CEO of the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank, said while they anticipated some form of cuts, they were not prepared for how much.

“That’s where we get 80% of our food, from TEFAP,” said Latvis. “To have the lion’s share of that eliminated is just a huge blow.”

Latvis said this allocated money went primarily to items such as chicken, pork and milk. While the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank previously received truckloads of these essential foods, Latvis said the dropoff in intake has been astounding.

He said food banks across the state are pulling together to make sure there is not a food shortage, as the demand for their services has never decreased.

“I would say it has only gone up over time. There are so many families who depend on what we do,” Latvis said. “There is no demographic, no type of person who needs help, it’s truly a wide issue.”

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Virginia lawmakers have now become involved, sending a letter to the USDA. The bipartisan letter included senators and delegates asking for answers as the federal funding provided food to more than 400 food banks across the state.

The letter reads in part:

In Virginia, approximately 10 percent of households are “food insecure,” meaning their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. On average, food pantry visits increased more than 20 percent in Virginia last year and Virginia food banks are spending five times more money now than in 2019 due to greater demand and higher food prices. TEFAP accounts for 20 percent of the food distributed by Virginia’s food banks, and the currently suspended CCC orders represent around one-third of all TEFAP product Virginia food banks were expecting this year.

Latvis said he has not heard an answer yet for how state or federal leaders plan to address the shortcomings. Right now, he’s working with other food pantries to cover any shortages.

“We’re very hopeful that they are going to be replaced with something else from the Trump administration,” said Latvis.