Latest news with #CentralPennsylvaniaFoodBank
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Huntingdon County VFW food giveaway to benefit veterans
HUNTINGDON, Pa. (WTAJ) — A local effort is stepping up to support those who served. VFW Post 1754 will distribute food to veterans and their surviving spouses during a special event in Huntingdon County on Thursday, May 22. The event, part of the Fourth Annual Veterans of Foreign Wars National Day of Service, will begin at 9 a.m. at War Veterans Memorial Field on Standing Stone Avenue. The distribution will begin once the food truck arrives on site. Qualifying recipients must reside in Huntingdon County and show proof of military service, such as a DD214 or VA Clinic ID. Each monthly food package includes pantry staples like pasta, soup and cereal, along with fresh produce, dairy products, and 5 to 10 pounds of meat. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank supplies the food, which is made possible through donations from local VFWs, American Legions, Elks, Knights of Columbus and community members. Regular volunteers include local veterans, members of the Huntingdon Bearcats football team, Brenneman's Meat Market and individual residents. An application is required for this event reach out to Douglas Smith at (814) 599-8915 or for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuts by Trump Administration hurting local food banks
(WHTM) — It is dire times at food banks, including a huge one in the Midstate. We got an earful Friday from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. They provide meals to more than 250,000 across the Commonwealth. 'Our food bank, like most food banks, are actually serving more people right now in 2025 than we were in the height of the pandemic,' CEO of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank Joe Arthur said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Which is why they're hungry for federal funding, cut by the Trump administration. 'The American people are very supportive, we're saving, them billions of dollars and are just getting started,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. 'The reality is it's probably not feasible to make up all of the difference for for those cuts,' Arthur said. Which is why the food bank is worried. Its local food purchasing assistance program is taking a hit, missing out on $120,000 every month. 'That is about 250,000 pounds of locally sourced food that we won't have access to,' Arthur said. Things grown and produced in Pennsylvania. 'For some of the farmers we work with. It's about 10% of their revenue,' Arthur said. 'So not only are the people that rely on the food bank impacted, there's not as much of the really good food, but our local farmers, small medium farmers, that could be the difference of them making a profit or not.' Some USDA truckloads also canceled. The food bank says anyone who needs help can still get it, but… 'You might not be able to get milk this time or you might not be able to get eggs, you might not be able to get as much meat this time,' Arthur said. Download the abc27 News+ app on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV devices How long these cuts will last is unclear, but Arthur tells me it could be up to 15 months, because that's how long funding from the local food purchasing assistance program, was supposed to last. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Millions in funds for Pennsylvania farms and food banks, including Philabundance, in jeopardy as USDA ends program
Philabundance, the largest food bank in the Philadelphia region, will now have to look at how to fill a million-dollar hole. This comes after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced earlier this month it is terminating the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. "We're going to be losing about $1.5 million, about 18% of our food-sourcing budget," said Dorothy Wong with Philabundance. "This is probably one of the most significant reductions we've seen in a really long time." The program provides funding for food banks to buy produce, dairy and meats from local vendors, and state leaders say the cuts will have impacts across Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, the head of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank said the organization stands to lose nearly $2 million in funding and that around 500,000 fewer meals a month would go out. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro set his sights on the administration's decision this week. "Pennsylvania farmers and food banks are owed $13 million, and I won't stand by and let our farmers get screwed," Shapiro said Tuesday from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. That $13 million is how much the state stands to lose in funding over the three-year contract it says it signed with the USDA in December 2024. But it isn't just food banks impacted by the cuts. This week, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture sent a list of 189 farms across Pennsylvania to the USDA that could be impacted by the loss of funding. These farms, the governor's office says, benefited from LFPA funding. One farm on that list is Living Hope Farm in Harleysville. "It's a shame that this funding is being pulled away from small-scale farms and the mission of building a local food system," said Sam Chronister, manager at the farm. Chronister says Living Hope has been open since around 2010 and grows a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables. They also have a focus on filling food pantry shelves, with Chronister saying the farm donated more than 3,000 pounds of food to local food banks last year. Around 20% of the farm's operation comes from various grants, according to Chronister. And while he didn't put an exact number of the impact losing LFPA money would have, he says every bit of money coming in matters, especially for small farms. "It's already difficult, grants are already competitive. And taking that away is going to push us to find some other ways to make some money," Chronister said. The cuts come at a time when the Trump administration is focused on slashing federal spending and the size of the federal government as a whole . A spokesperson for the USDA said in part, "As a pandemic-era program, the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) will now be sunsetted at the end of the performance period, marking a return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives. This isn't an abrupt shift—earlier this month, USDA released over half a billion in previously obligated funds for LFPA and LFS to fulfill existing commitments and support ongoing local food purchases." "With 16 robust nutrition programs in place, USDA remains focused on its core mission: strengthening food security, supporting agricultural markets, and ensuring access to nutritious food," the spokesperson said in the statement. The letter sent to USDA by Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding says the agency's termination notice said the contract "no longer effectuates agency priorities." "It's hard for me to see how partnering with our farmers and feeding people doesn't align with the federal government's priorities," Shapiro said. The governor on Tuesday called the termination of the contract between the state and USDA "unlawful," and said they have moved to appeal the decision. Shapiro said his administration would consider legal options if the USDA refused to rescind the termination.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump administration drops funding for Pa. farmers who help food banks. Shapiro moves to reverse it
Amy Brickner is a third-generation dairy farmer in Carlisle, Cumberland County, who provides produce for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. (Courtesy of PAcast.) At the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in Harrisburg, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced his administration is pushing back against a move by the United States Department of Agriculture to cancel $13 million in funding for Pennsylvania farmers who provide products for food banks. 'As a result of what I consider to be this unlawful action, 189 Pennsylvania farms will lose a critical source of revenue, and 14 food banks across Pennsylvania will lose access to locally produced, fresh food,' Shapiro said. 'Here at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, that means 500,000 fewer meals they can deliver to hungry Pennsylvanians every month.' The funding came from the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, which was established in 2021. It was intended to help both farmers struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as food banks that may not have a budget for fresh food. Since the program began, Pennsylvania has received over $28 million, according to Pa. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, most of which has been distributed. Redding said in December, the USDA signed a contract to give the commonwealth an additional $13 million over the next three years, but it was cancelled this month. The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to slash spending across the federal government. But Shapiro said he believes the move to renege on the contract is illegal. Redding said he sent a letter to the USDA to appeal the cancellation on Tuesday, and included a list of farms potentially impacted by the cuts, as well as the counties they're in, to underscore the impact on the agricultural community. Shapiro says, if the appeal fails, he will consider further legal action. 'Pennsylvania farmers and food banks are owed $13 million and I won't stand by and let our farmers get screwed in the process,' Shapiro said. 'We are prepared to take further legal action to protect our farmers and ensure those who are hungry get fed.' Shapiro was joined at the food bank press conference by Amy Brickner, a third-generation dairy farmer in Carlisle, Cumberland County, who provides produce for the program. Brickner said her LFPA funding was frozen in January when President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on federal spending pending the review of programs. 'Milk is still the most requested item at food banks,' Brickner said. 'I kept donating because I knew the impact. This winter was lean and I lost costs that I couldn't afford to lose, but I'm proud of the products that I produce with my grandmother, my mother, and my two sons by my side.' She was ultimately reimbursed for the costs of her donations during the funding freeze in the first months of 2025, but now the money is being cancelled altogether. 'I want to be able to continue the impact that I've already had,' Brickner said. 'And that is from these grant programs for dairy farmers to help me cover the expenses and give back to my community.' Rep. Justin Fleming (D-Dauphin) was also at the food pantry, which is in his district. He said when he was a kid, his family relied on food stamps and government assistance while they worked their way to the middle class. 'I was one of those kids who didn't have enough to eat going to bed,' Fleming said. 'What I'm most concerned about with actions like this that the federal government is taking, they are literally taking food out of the mouths of kids.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Shapiro said the program is also designed to help farmers, and he's spoken to some who say LFPA funds make up 10-15% of their budget. And it's unclear how that can be made up if the program is terminated permanently. 'The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank may figure out a way to fundraise more or figure out a grant from somewhere else … but I don't know how farmers will make up this market share,' Shapiro said. 'The state can not make up those cuts. People are going to suffer as a result of these policy decisions they're making in Washington.' Shapiro has already sued the Trump administration over other reductions in federal spending that have impacted the state. Though that lawsuit is ongoing, Shapiro said he was able to get the administration to reverse course and unfreeze grants totalling $2 billion that his office identified in February.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank accepts ‘Charity of the Year' award
(WHTM) — Tonight's Hometown Hero is recognized for its commitment to curb hunger. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank accepted the 'Charity of the Year' award from JFC Global, along with a check for $7,500 based in Camp Hill. JFC Global is an employment agency for job seekers and area businesses. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'This is kind of an extension of the work we're already doing, even if someone has a job or is in between jobs, how can we support them and be there for them so this is just another way to do that,' said Greyson Knepp of JFC Global. 'Every single day we know that thousands of families are depending on us, and we leave at the end of the day, we know we helped all those people but tomorrow we're going to do it again,' said Joe Arthur, the Executive Director of the Food Bank. Employees with JFC Global have volunteered time to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank over the past 6 years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
