Latest news with #CommoditySupplementalFoodProgram
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Food banks call on Congress to preserve food aid for 38,000 Pennsylvania seniors
(USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.) A network of food banks and charitable organizations that distributes food from the of Agriculture (USDA) to low-income seniors called on Congress to preserve funding for the program in the upcoming federal budget. Pennsylvania is the fourth-largest recipient of aid under the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), behind California, Texas and Michigan. Cuts to the USDA funding bill would have an outsized impact on the commonwealth, where 38,000 seniors receive monthly food packages through the program, Hunger-Free Pennsylvania said. 'We must at all costs preserve the critical and vital safety net that CSFP provides for our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians – our seniors,' Hunger-Free Pennsylvania Executive Director Stuart I.R. Haniff said. According to the nonprofit Food Research & Action Center, the Trump administration proposes a $425 million cut to eliminate CSFP and replace the aid with Make America Healthy Again Food Boxes, which source food items directly from farmers. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, which represents the commonwealth's 18 food banks serving all 67 counties, said funding should be maintained at current levels, at a minimum. 'If Congress fails to fully fund this program, our most vulnerable seniors will lose access to the nutritious food they need to live healthier lives,' Haniff said. The CSFP delivers food packages designed to provide protein, calcium, iron and vitamins A and C to people 60 and older who have an income below 150% of the federal poverty level. For a single-person household, that's about $23,500 a year, according to Hunger-Free Pennsylvania. The network said the program has been a 'resounding success,' recently surpassing 250,000 deliveries through the meal delivery app DoorDash's Project DASH, which allows food banks and pantries to work with DoorDash drivers and technology to distribute aid. 'Often, the contact with a home delivery representative is the only human contact these seniors have – and sometimes the only eyes to check on them and their well-being,' Hunger-Free Pennsylvania said in a statement. The organization's call for attention to the program comes as Pennsylvania officials fight with the Trump administration over the cancellation of an initiative that provides millions of dollars for farmers who provide products for food banks across the state. Along with a threatened lawsuit, Gov. Josh Shapiro has said the Trump administration broke a three-year contract between the federal government and the state. The deal, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA), was established in 2021 under President Joe Biden's administration in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It supported about 190 farms and 13 food banks. The latest contract was renewed in the final months of Biden's term. However, Trump's administration confirmed in March that the program was ending, impacting farmers and food banks across the nation. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'We Have No Details,' Says Food Program Director As Trump's 'MAHA Boxes' Threaten 730,000 Seniors' Grocery Lifeline
Lack of communication and abrupt changes from President Donald Trump's administration have made it difficult to prepare for the rollout of the Make America Healthy Again food box initiative, according to George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program. 'We have no details [about logistics of the MAHA food boxes], and this has been a continued challenge that we've had with this administration, where decisions are sort of made overnight,' said Matysik, in comments reported by CBS MoneyWatch on May 7. He added that ongoing uncertainty is making it harder for food organizations to plan ahead. Don't Miss: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – The 2026 budget proposal would eliminate the $425 million Commodity Supplemental Food Program, replacing it with "MAHA boxes" sourced directly from U.S. farmers, potentially impacting over 730,000 seniors' grocery lifeline. "The boxes contain wholesome foods from domestic farms, and similar to the Farmers to Families Food Box, fresh foods," the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch, adding that the MAHA initiative could "supplant or complement" existing programs. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the USDA awarded nearly $3 billion in contracts through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. The program successfully delivered over 176 million food boxes to individuals and families in need across the country, relying on more than 200 contractors to distribute the boxes during the pandemic. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — The Share Food Program has provided 32-pound food boxes to more than 300,000 children and over 4,000 seniors in Philadelphia, many of whom earn less than $23,000 a year. According to CBS MoneyWatch, Matysik challenged the Trump administration's claim that current food bank offerings are nutritionally inadequate, explaining that their boxes contain lean proteins, pasta, and canned vegetables suitable for seniors—many of whom struggle with grocery access. He expressed concern that MAHA's emphasis on fresh, perishable food might not meet the needs of seniors who depend on shelf-stable staples. Matysik also emphasized the logistical difficulties of getting fresh produce from farms to doorsteps without dedicated MAHA proposal arrives amid broader reductions in federal nutrition aid. In March, the Trump administration redirected $1 billion in school and food bank funding toward sourcing from local producers, according to Politico. The impact has already been felt. On April 13, CT Insider reported that Connecticut Foodshare CEO Jason Jakubowski said that 34 federal food shipments were canceled without explanation, disrupting supplies to over 600 food banks statewide. In April, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollinsfor Arkansas' proposal to restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program purchases of soda and candy, aligning with the MAHA initiative's focus on improving nutrition. Separately, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last month announced plans to phase out synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply, as part of broader efforts to enhance dietary health. Read Next: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article 'We Have No Details,' Says Food Program Director As Trump's 'MAHA Boxes' Threaten 730,000 Seniors' Grocery Lifeline originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Farm Share to hold multiple food-distribution events for low-income seniors in Northeast Florida
Farm Share, the state-leading food nonprofit, will be hosting multiple food distribution events aimed at distributing food to low-income seniors in Northeast Florida this Saturday. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Senior citizens aged 60 and above will have the opportunity to sign up for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, a federally funded food distribution program. To register, click the link above. Recipients will receive fresh produce,m non-perishable canned goods, and more. Distributions are drive-thru only and vehicles must have access to a trunk or cargo bed. Distributions will be held at the following three locations, starting at 9 am: [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Eliminating farm produce programs won't solve food insecurity in ag-rich Fresno region
In the late 1960s when my parents stuffed all our belongings into a U-Haul trailer and the back of a well-traveled Chevy truck to make the 800-mile journey from the deserts of New México to the land of plenty, visions of endless foods like grapes, melons and oranges danced inside my teen head. The San Joaquín Valley, however, presented a different reality: seasonal work in the fields that left very little money to sustain us year round. That is why we survived on canned chicken, blocks of cheese and powdered eggs that we got from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Those fried tacos my mother made with that canned chicken were scrumptious. I soon came to realize that the Valley – whose dirt, climate and water nourish the world with its fruits, nuts and vegetables – can grow enough produce to feed the hungry in an area where 30% of the residents live beneath the poverty line. The problem remains that the economics of farming – seasonal work and seasonal paychecks – don't mesh with the human need for work, shelter and food. Opinion My stepfather was a hardworking man. He grew and baled alfalfa, worked as a farm manager, drove a motorcycle from Earlimart to Madera to operate heavy machinery, and always made sure there was a roof over our heads. Alas, he found out that his paycheck didn't stretch far enough to provide for five kids. My mother, a former waitress, also pitched in selling Avon products. Still not enough. It was a good thing that Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency weren't around to cripple the USDA's Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provided welcomed boxes of surplus food. I, however, never cared much for those powdered eggs. It is embarrassing that hunger persists in the land of plenty. 'We grow so much food, and yet the access and availability of that fresh produce is minimal,' a community advocate told me when I wrote about the Valley's food insecurity in 2003. 'We have so much hunger and poverty.' That is reason enough that the USDA should not toy around with two Biden-era programs designed to distribute farm produce to schools, food banks and tribes. As part of the cost-cutting mandate from the Trump administration, the USDA cut off $1 billion from the Local Food for Schools program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement. After an uproar, funding for existing programs was unfrozen, but future funding is uncertain. The programs were a win-win-win situation. Farmers made money by selling fresh produce, schools provided healthier meals for their students, and food banks counted on fresh food to include in their boxes of groceries for needy families. Now, schools officials, food banks and farmers are left scratching their heads about why programs with bipartisan support vanished. Are starving kids – like those we see too often in television commercials lobbying for dollars to feed starving children in Third World countries – what the Trump administration and Musk's DOGE folks want to see? Do they honestly believe the $1 billion will be better used to offset tax cuts for the richest – and most well-fed – Americans? The Valley, despite its agricultural riches, remains hampered by poverty rates that are among the highest in the country. Fresno County had a poverty rate of 18.7% in 2023, according to the Federal Reserve Economic Data. In 1980, that rate was 14.5%. A March 17 virtual press conference organized by Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, delivered reasons those programs should continue. 'Over 30% of the students in our schools live below the poverty rate,' said Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Michelle Cantwell-Copher. 'We consider those school meal programs a lifeline for our students.' Fresno Unified spokesperson, Nikki Henry, said the district spent its $500,000 on fresh produce, organic chicken and turkey for its students. 'This funding didn't just benefit our students, it stayed right here in our local community supporting local farmers and businesses,' said Henry. 'When students eat well, they learn better. They stay focused. They thrive.' The Fresno-based Central California Food Bank, the fiscal agent for 10 food banks from Amador to Kern counties, received more than $9 million from the USDA. The program, said food bank CEO Natalie Caples, shows how the government 'can effectively support local growers and producers.' There's no reason the Trump administration should starve the Valley. California could feel the misery of House GOP math that doesn't add up. Here's why | Opinion Rep. Tom McClintock is failing his constituents, and he doesn't want to hear about it | Opinion
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zach Nunn proposes bill aimed at reducing food insecurity for rural seniors
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn is introducing a bill aimed at ensuring low-income seniors living in rural areas can access food assistance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Supplemental Food Program distributes food to U.S. seniors. But Nunn, a Republican who represents Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, said more than 100,000 eligible seniors do not participate in the program, often because they can't reach food distribution sites. The Delivering for Rural Seniors Act would create a pilot grant program for organizations focused on finding ways to deliver packages of food to people who live in rural areas. It is being co-led by U.S. Rep. Jasmin Crocket, a Democrat from Texas. 'Access to healthy nutritious food is essential for seniors,' Nunn said at a news conference Monday. 'But for many in rural America, mobility and transportation barriers make it nearly impossible to access even existing food sources.' Last year, Congress approved a one-year extension of the Farm Bill. But Nunn said he's hopeful that legislators can move forward on a new Farm Bill that could aid programs like this. 'This is a program that needs long-term planning to be able to be successful, so that not only we can keep the foods on the shelf and in the cupboard, we also have the ability to keep this going for the long term,' Nunn said. Nunn said that even as Republicans in Congress work to slash federal spending by scrutinizing things like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, he believes programs like this should survive the cut. 'When you have a grant program for something that works, that's where we should be spending money,' he said. 'When you have, you know, a lot of the fraud, waste and abuse that we're seeing already in the SNAP program. That's a great way to be able to scale that money back and pay down that $36 trillion in debt.' Nunn would not say Monday whether he would vote for a budget that includes cuts to Medicaid. 'There's a number of proposals out there, so let's not lock ourselves into anything right now until we actually get the reconciliation package,' he said. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@ or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Zach Nunn proposes bill aimed at reducing food insecurity for rural seniors
