Latest news with #CAPK
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘A measurable reduction': CAPK, Kern County partners brace for inevitable cuts in food distribution
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — 17 News continues our coverage of how various cuts to government food programs will soon affect thousands of Kern County families. As governments at both the state and federal levels work to cut back on spending, advocates are saying it's the most vulnerable — those relying on various social services and programs — that are paying the price. Kern County organizations are gearing up for what's to come — more people to serve, with less resources. That was the focus of the Community Action Partnership of Kern — or CAPK's — Annual Partner Conference Friday morning. That's what CAPK said we can be seeing much more of in the coming months, a stark contrast to their typically very well-stocked food warehouse in east Bakersfield. Court Watch with Jason Kotowski: April 11, 2025 'There will be a measurable reduction in the amount of resources that come into the warehouse that we are able to redistribute to the county,' said food bank administrator Kelly Lowery. CAPK acts as the middleman in food distribution — both receiving food, as well as grants to purchase more food from federal and state resources. Then, CAPK distributes the goods to its 150 local partners. Right now for CAPK, the shelves are full enough to distribute $2 million pounds of food monthly. No one knows for how long though. 'There's going to be maybe a reduction in the amount of resources that we are able to provide each family,' said Lowery. This is a result of federal and state funding cuts to various food assistance programs — like The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP funds) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, known as CalFresh in California. Also, the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers an Emergency Food Assistance Program. Lowery says already, 13 loads from the USDA — so, 3.5 million pounds of food — were cancelled. '[With all the cuts so far], we're looking at probably a reduction of the equivalent amount of about $6 million worth of food on an annual basis in reduction,' Lowery noted. Lowery said the need is growing, while the supply is diminishing. He explained that lines outside food banks are twice as long as they were two years ago. In January 2023, CAPK partners — so local food pantries and nonprofits — distributed food about 92,000 times. That number surged to 220,000 now. 'It's against that backdrop that now we're also facing a reduction of resources to be able provide those families,' Lowery said. 'It's a fearful thing for a family, for a mom and dad not to be able to feed their kids,' said Pastor Connie Totten with New Life Church, which has been partnering with CAPK for three decades. Totten — the leader of one of CAPK's biggest partners — said the church serves up to 5,000 people monthly. The church offers both a drive thru food distribution program, as well as a pantry, from which families can choose what to take. 'How can we stretch this a little more so that no one walks away with nothing?' added Gilbert LaRoque, director of Bakersfield Recovery Services, which has partnered with CAPK since the pandemic. 'The 93305 areas is one of the most food insecure areas that we have,' LaRoque added, noting that he serves up to 500 families monthly. These organizations added that not knowing how long all of this will last only adds to their concerns. Lowery detailed that while CAPK won't be cutting any distribution sites, the organization and its partners would feel the reduction in funding firsthand. 'It produces downward pressure on what is the safety net of all social programs, and that's the food banks,' Lowery stated during his presentation the conference. 'When SNAP benefits are cut, it means our lines are going to get even longer,' Lowery said. Despite greater responsibility falling on the shoulders of providers, these organizations also don't have what it takes to give more. CAPK — already understaffed, according to Lowery — is now set to be underfunded. As many echoed during the conference, this is already a tough field to be in. 'In order to serve the people that I serve, I rely on the food bank and CalFresh,' said Pastor Connie Totten. Lowery put pressure on state legislators especially for the Cal Foods program, which served as a crucial provider for food banks in recent years. About $60 million in funding was allocated among California's 41 food banks. Amid the state's budget deficit, funding is set to drop to $8 million. Lowery emphasized that either sustaining or increasing Cal Food would be the bare minimum — current funding is already not enough. Different groups will take different avenues, as they navigate new terrain. 'Instead of all of the people getting some of the food, some of the people getting all of the food,' is what Captain Gina Noble of the Ridgecrest Salvation Army proposed. Noble noted that the organization, which serves a food desert area, values fostering deep relationships with the families they assist. 'It's not a time to have fear. It's a time to be fierce,' Noble said with determination. 'If you don't have as much to give, make sure it's nutrient rich.' Meantime, CAPK shared that it's received a $1 million grant from the county, dedicated to purchasing food for the unincorporated areas of Kern County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local food distributors expect more demand after cuts to CAPK food bank deliveries
The local impact of federal budget cutbacks may soon spread as distributors of free food to Kern's neediest families anticipate greater demand following a halt in certain deliveries to the county's largest food bank. At least two nonprofits that weren't directly impacted by the government spending cuts said Wednesday they worry about being unable to make up a supply gap resulting from last month's reduction in food shipments to Community Action Partnership of Kern. "There's only so much we can do. We just don't have the hands and the capacity," said Executive Director Debbie Powers at Golden Empire Gleaners, whose food gathering and distribution work feeds about 175 families per day, not including 20 senior-sack programs it serves in Buttonwillow, Delano, Lake Isabella and other areas, totaling about 2 million pounds of food per year. Bret Sill shares her concern as founder and director of Morning Star Fresh Food Ministry, which gives out about 600 boxes per month of fresh meats and vegetables despite, like the Gleaners, receiving no federal food or financial support. "If CAPK's getting cut back, they (food recipients) are probably going to come (to) us to get food," he said, adding that Morning Star already has to turn away families looking to join the distribution list. "We don't have unlimited funds … to do that." So far, neither organization has been contacted by people reporting they have been unable to receive enough food from CAPK. But Powers and Sill both said they're already expecting phone calls. Last month CAPK sounded the alarm about the cancellation of 13 full truckloads of food that supplied eggs, milk, cheese and meat to an estimated 5,000 families across Kern County. Calling the situation a crisis in the making, CAPK said the disruption stemmed from the Trump administration's decision to trim the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual budget by at least $1 billion. The local nonprofit noted it keeps two to six months' worth of food on hand and wasn't expecting to run out of supplies. But given that food lines lately have been twice as long as they were two years prior, CAPK said last month it would need to find new sources of support beyond food drives and gathering of supplies from local grocery stores and restaurants. CAPK gives out about 22.5 million pounds of food per year from various sources. It has projected its supplies will shrink by about a third because of recent reductions to at least two USDA programs, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Local Food for Schools initiative. Lawmakers have blasted the cutbacks. A letter California's entire Democratic congressional delegation signed and sent March 31 to the USDA called for reversing the cancellations. They said the halt in deliveries has hit 49 food banks across the state, affecting 6 million residents and more than 600 California farmers whose food the USDA buys and distributes. 'These programs provide critical support to farmers and food producers in California while ensuring access to nutritious, locally sourced food for families, students and communities, which we feel are in line with this administration's stated goals to provide more opportunities for Americans to eat healthy, support farmers and boost domestic demand for produce,' the letter stated. Powers said Gleaners sends out half a dozen trucks per day to gather soon-to-expire food from Costco and grocery stores. It has scheduled a food drive from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the north entrance of Valley Plaza mall. She said she has already been asked whether Gleaners would be able to help make up the difference from CAPK's supply cuts. Her answer was that her nonprofit doesn't have much ability to expand its capacity, though it is trying to do so by building a racking system in its warehouse. The nonprofit might be able to boost its productivity as much as 14% to feed 200 families per day, Power said, adding that probably won't be enough. "We do talk about it," she said, referring to helping CAPK meet demand. "Because people are, like, what's your future? What's your plan?" Morning Star's food supplies generally come from donations and discounts the nonprofit gets from local butchers and farmers, Sill said. The food then goes to churches and other organizations, some of which contribute money to help cover expenses. Since the pandemic, the nonprofit has had to stop adding names to its waiting list, Sill said. But since learning of the delivery cutbacks at CAPK, he has been expecting to receive calls from people hoping to begin receiving food boxes, which he noted contain 6 to 10 pounds of meat and 20 to 25 pounds of vegetables and generally sell for $45 each.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal USDA cuts hit food banks, up to 300 distribution sites across Kern
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is cutting back $1 billion in funding and that is hitting Kern. 'The USDA bonus loads that we get through our TEFAP program have been cancelled.' said Susana Magana with CAPK, 'This equates to right around 3.5 million pounds and $4.5 million dollars.' The Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, is funded by USDA. The Community Action Partnership of Kern, known as CAPK's food bank, already has lost 13 scheduled USDA deliveries. Hunger continues to grow in Kern. 'From 2023 to 2024 we've seen a 200% increase.' said Susana Magana, 'So we were seeing right around 120,000 people a month, and now we're at about 200,000. Those lines are just going to get longer, and longer. Food insecurity is going to increase.' In 2024, that equated to 22.5 million pounds of food that were distributed. Distribution sites that are going to feel the losses. 'We have a network of about 250-300 partners that are churches and other organizations that do the distribution, so those organizations are going to be affected and obviously we serve the entire county,' said Magana. CAPK asks the community to reach out to local, state, and federal representatives to bring awareness of how impactful these cuts can be. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
