With shelves already strained by unprecedented need, High Plains Food Bank (HPFB) leaders sounded the alarm April 22 over the cancellation of 13 truckloads’ worth of food from a scheduled shipment from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) — a blow that threatens to deepen food insecurity across the Texas Panhandle.
During a news conference inside the food bank’s Amarillo warehouse, Executive Director Zack Wilson said the canceled deliveries, originally part of a one-time federal expansion of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), would have delivered shelf-stable and protein-rich products vital to feeding thousands of families in 2025.
“This isn’t just a logistics issue. This is about people,” Wilson said. “We’re serving more households now than we did during the Great Recession and the pandemic. This cut comes at the worst possible time.”
The lost food — part of a $500 million supplemental USDA allocation approved in 2024 but rescinded earlier this year — represents a significant gap for HPFB. While the base TEFAP program remains intact, Wilson said the canceled shipments equal 13 truckloads that were supposed to arrive throughout 2025.
“That’s a quarter of a million pounds of food we were counting on — now we won’t get it,” he said.
HPFB serves 29 counties across the Texas Panhandle, where food insecurity affects roughly one in six residents. In March alone, the food bank served a record-breaking 13,000 households.
‘We’ve seen what our community can do’
To make up the difference, HPFB is launching a $250,000 fundraising campaign to increase its purchasing power through the summer and beyond. Wilson said the campaign will focus not only on closing the immediate gap, but on building long-term sustainability.
“We’ve seen what our community can do,” he said. “In 2020, we distributed more than a million pounds of food in two different months. That happened because every food channel — donations, USDA support, and purchasing — was firing on all cylinders.”
HPFB board member Don Nicholson emphasized that the organization isn’t reducing service but needs immediate help to maintain supply levels to more than 125 partner agencies.
“We’re not cutting out any of the agencies we work with — but we may not be able to give them as much as we’d like,” Nicholson said. “It’s simple: We need help to fill the gap.”
Nicholson pointed to protein as the most consistently short item in the food bank’s inventory.
“We’re in the beef capital of the world, but that doesn’t mean ground beef magically shows up at the food bank,” he said. “Protein is the hardest thing to get, and it’s one of the most expensive things to buy.”
Nicholson added that while the organization is confident in its mission, it can’t meet record-level need alone.
“We’re going to do everything we can,” he said. “But this is a community issue, and it’s going to take a community solution. Every dollar, every pound of food makes a difference right now.”
‘We’re not just distributing calories. We’re distributing wellness.’
Wilson also underscored the nutritional importance of TEFAP foods, which are sourced entirely from American farms and designed to meet health-conscious standards.
“We’re not just distributing calories. We’re distributing wellness,” Wilson said. “Low-sodium canned goods, pinto beans, lean proteins — these are the foods that help our neighbors live healthier lives, not just survive.”
He said the food bank is especially focused on ensuring dignity for families who seek assistance.
“Our goal isn’t just to feed people,” Wilson said. “It’s to give them a sense of security — to know they’ll have something nutritious on the table tonight and tomorrow.”
Farm Bill remains in limbo
The cuts come at a time when the next Farm Bill — which authorizes programs like TEFAP — remains stalled in Congress. The 2018 Farm Bill has been extended twice through continuing resolutions, but a new version has yet to be passed.
Wilson said he has received positive feedback from local and regional congressional representatives about their support for food assistance programs within the upcoming Farm Bill, but there’s still no clear timeline.
“Every time we visit with our elected officials, we hear support for this program,” Wilson said. “But the reality is, we still don’t have a new Farm Bill in place, and that leaves us with a lot of uncertainty.”
Despite the setback, Wilson expressed confidence in HPFB’s ability to adapt — if the community rallies as it has in the past.
“We’re not in panic mode, but we are in mobilization mode,” he said. “We’ve always found a way to meet the need, even if it meant rearranging the warehouse floor to stack boxes to the ceiling.”
To donate or learn more, visit www.hpfb.org. A special campaign page will be launched in the coming days to support the $250,000 goal.
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