Bellingham Food Bank suffers as federal funding cuts continue

BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Ongoing cuts to federal funding are severely hampering food security services in Whatcom County.

The Bellingham Food Bank says a pair of USDA programs totaling over $800,000 in annual funds for the county have been cancelled.

To complicate matters even more, food bank spokesperson Stephanie Sisson says the funding cuts came on extremely short notice with no reasoning given.

“We had orders that we were expecting to receive from April through June, but starting at the first of [April], all those orders we didn’t have coming,” Sisson said. “And so that means we have a direct impact on our shelves.”

Sisson says federal SNAP benefits ended for many families after the COVID-19 pandemic, causing demand for the food bank’s services to nearly triple since 2021. But she warns that more proposed SNAP cuts in the coming years could skyrocket demand even higher.

Sisson adds the cuts come at a time when the food bank’s services are needed more than ever.

“Most of our funding comes from community donations,” Sisson said. “And when things are really volatile and people are experiencing really rapid cuts or jobs lost, it’s really important that we maintain our strengths and our community support.”

To find more information on the Bellingham Food Bank, head to bellinghamfoodbank.org.