Food banks across Missouri have lost nearly 1.6 million pounds of federal food aid since May of this year, including thousands of pounds of cheese, chicken, eggs, pork, turkey, pork chops, plums, and gallons of milk.
The Missouri Independent reports the reduced food aid is due to cuts made to a USDA program that buys food from U.S. farmers.
Leigh Anne Haun is Executive Director of Feeding Missouri, a coalition of the state’s six food banks. She told Missourinet the state’s food banks have had to make adjustments.
“They are ramping up their efforts for funding right now when there’s uncertainty or we’re, you know, trying to navigate some changing atmospheres and resources, that is primarily how they’re planning, right? They’re just looking for private support and more people to engage with them so they can try to help as many people as possible,” Haun said.
The Trump administration slashed $500 million from The Emergency Food Assistance Program, canceling 124 scheduled deliveries to Missouri.
According to Haun, some food banks have adjusted operations—expanding mobile distributions or coordinating additional product purchases. Others are working closely with local community and faith-based partners to identify emerging needs and connect families not only with food, but with other local supports that promote stability.
Haun doesn’t think food banks are in danger of running out of food, but she added that they’re monitoring the situation.
“I think the concern is that there’s going to be less to go around,” Haun said. “They’re kind of anticipating the number of people that are going to come in. It might look like there’s maybe less distribution happening per person. I don’t think that there’s a danger of just a completely empty shelf.”
Each food bank operates a number of programs, some of which you have to meet certain criteria. Haun recommends that people reach out to their food bank to determine which resources are available to them.
While food banks have worked to fill the gap, leaders warn that upcoming changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could increase hunger across the state.
The charitable network cannot replace federal nutrition programs like SNAP and WIC, which provide the scale of support families depend on. Haun said federal nutrition programs deliver roughly nine meals for every one meal provided by food banks.
“The past few years have brought more people to our doors—many for the first time—and we’re seeing that again,” Haun said. “In moments like this, community matters most. Food banks are approaching their busiest time of the year under normal circumstances. The added challenges are going to require more support to meet the need.”
How to give: financial donations and volunteering at a local food bank are encouraged.
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