Latest news with #EastTexasFoodBank
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
East Texas Food Bank Responds To Possible SNAP Cuts
TYLER, Texas (KETK)- The East Texas Food Bank released its 2025 Map the Meal Gap numbers. They say it's their snapshot of hunger in East Texas, which currently shows 1 in 5 adults in our area don't have enough food to eat. Texas bill allows food truck owners to simplify permits in each county 'As it relates to children, we are still at 1 in 4,' East Texas Food Bank chief executive officer David Emerson said. This amounts to nearly 44.6 million meals, an increase from last year's close to 41 million meals. Many families who depend on the food bank yearly also rely on their SNAP benefits to fill their pantries. 'Snap benefits stretch much, much further than the meals that you get,' East Texas Food Bank chief impact officer Kim Morris said. Recently, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee voted on its portion of a bill that includes $230 billion in spending cuts. One of those proposals would make cuts to SNAP benefits, and changes to qualification requirements. Something U.S. Congressman Nathaniel Moran from East Texas supports. 'We've got able-bodied people that are not working, not trying to get off of government subsistence, but could do so if incentivized to do so,' Rep. Nathaniel Moran said. The bill would increase age requirements for 'Able-bodied adults' without children and close some loopholes for work requirement waivers. 'Require each state to pay anywhere from 5 to 25% of the food benefits, so currently, the federal government is paying 100% of its food benefits,' Emerson said. He said the administration cost would also increase from 50% to 75%. 'That is an additional $87 million per year based on last year's numbers that Texas would have to pick up,' Emerson said. Congressman Moran believes these changes to SNAP would be beneficial for Americans overall. 'If we don't do anything this year, the average American $100,000 for individuals and their family, they're going to have a tax bill of close to $670,000 next year,' Rep. Moran said. Adding the average family's tax bill could shrink to three hundred thousand dollars, but the East Texas Food Bank believes the need for assistance will go up, causing a shift in how they operate. 'We may have to feed them differently, and we may have to feed them without some of the federal support that we've had in the past, right, but we will continue to be here and provide for that, and we will rely more heavily on the generosity of the communities to make that happen,' Emerson said. The food bank is urging Congress to 'ensure no one is forced to choose between food and other basic needs'. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
East Texas Food Bank responds to Trump administration funding cut
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – The East Texas Food Bank has responded to recent cuts President Donald Trump's administration has made to U.S. Department of Agriculture food bank and school food funding programs. LIST: Tyler restaurants embracing farm-to-table dining The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had cut more than a $1 billion dollars in funding to two programs which help provide locally grown food to schools and foodbanks. In a statement obtained by KETK on Friday, East Texas Food Bank CEO David Emerson responded to the USDA's funding cuts. 'This program was critical to local farmers, growers and ranchers in our region,' East Texas Food Bank CEO David Emerson said. 'Though potential funding and our ability to purchase food could be impacted by this decision, the East Texas Food Bank remains committed to sourcing fresh produce so we can provide healthy food for the communities we serve.' The East Texas Food Bank reported serving 31,000,000 meals to over 200,000 local households in the fiscal last year as a part of their vision for a hunger-free East Texas. The Hill identified the two programs receiving the cuts as the USDA's Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller put own his own statement calling the cuts 'a fair and consistent approach' on Wednesday. 'I support a fair and consistent approach, which is precisely what the Trump Administration is implementing. This is not a final decision—it's a reassessment. There's always room for refinement, and we may see a revised version of the policy down the road that is even better for agriculture producers. I want to thank our farmers and ranchers, local food banks, school nutrition departments and Farm Fresh Network members for their dedication to providing fresh, nutritious meals to Texas students and families. Your hard work is building a healthier, more sustainable future for our state.' Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller UT Tyler poll measures voters views of Trump's second term, DOGE Miller said the cuts are intended to eliminate 'fraud, abuse and waste' and that the Texas Department of Agriculture doesn't depend on this funding because they operate their own Farm to School and Farm to Food Bank programs. Before the USDA's programs were implemented, Miller said that Texas schools spent more than $257.8 million on local food. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
