Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Returns Amid USDA Cuts to Local Food Aid — Columbia Community Connection News Mid-Columbia Region

• Collect non-perishable food items such as canned goods, dry pasta, or rice.

• Place the items in a sturdy bag.

• Set the bag next to your mailbox before your usual mail delivery on May 10.

No postage is required – LOL – and the Postal Service will handle pickup and distribution.

This year’s drive comes at a critical time. The Columbia Gorge Food Bank is facing a loss of 250,000 pounds of food annually due to recent cuts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The cuts stem from the cancellation of funding through the Commodity Credit Corporation, affecting programs like the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.

“These cuts primarily affect programs funded through the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation,” said Breen Goodwin, executive director of the Columbia Gorge Food Bank. “We hear from our community members that they are already struggling. With less food, it’s harder to feed families, and it is more challenging for them to make ends meet in other ways.”