Latest news with #FarmtoSchool
Chicago Tribune
16-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
'We've been paying attention' — Resilience grant is Legacy response to nonprofit cuts
Legacy Foundation has committed $600,000 to shore up slashed budgets for nonprofit organizations hit by state and federal budget cuts. Officials announced the new Lake County Resilience Grant program Thursday in Merrillville with several nonprofit leaders sharing the impact of the government funding cuts to their organizations. 'Huge cuts to state and federal funding have left many local organizations in survival mode,' said Legacy Foundation president and CEO Kelly Anoe. Legacy is Lake County's 30-year-old community foundation that relies on donors for its own funding. 'They're being forced to make heartbreaking choices, cutting staff, reducing hours, scaling back services, and in some cases wondering if they can stay open,' she said. Anoe said government cuts impact more than just nonprofit personnel and projects. 'It could mean that a mom can't get the mental health services she needs. It could mean that a kid loses their after-school program to keep them safe during after school hours. A senior might miss their meal delivery service.' Anoe said thousands of lives are impacted by the abrupt funding cuts. 'At Legacy Foundation, we've been paying attention,' she said. Annie Massie, co-executive director of the Northwest Indiana Food Council, detailed the plight of her nonprofit, founded in 2016 to help farmers make a living and become less vulnerable. She found out in March the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled its funding after it had secured funding last year. Massie said it pulled the rug out from under state agencies and nonprofits but more importantly it hurt small farmers and schools in the Farm to School program that provides local produce to 140 schools in 34 Northwest Indiana districts. 'Our farmers are devastated to say the least,' said Massie. She said some small farms may close 'because they put their faith in the USDA to honor their word in their contracts.' Just recently, Lakeshore Public Media found out the state eliminated its funding, which accounted for 30% of Lakeshore's funding. 'Resilience and adapt, and that's where we are,' said Chuck Roberts, Lakeshore's president and CEO. 'It's time to adapt who we are, and what we do to still try to provide the services to Northwest Indiana.' Roberts said Lakeshore Public Media's mission is community outreach and community service to tell the stories of the people who live in Northwest Indiana. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump issued an executive order defunding of PBS and National Public Radio, calling their programming slanted and 'woke propaganda disguised as 'news.'' The order has been challenged in court. Roberts thanked the Legacy Foundation 'for believing in these stories, believing in the people and bringing the resilience and adaptability that we need.' Other speakers included Josh Austin, executive director of City Life Center in Gary; Andrea Sherwin, president and CEO of Mental Health America of Northwest Indiana and Jennifer Trowbridge, president and CEO of CoAction. City Life Center provides after-school academic programs, and wrap-around mental health services for family members and clothing giveaways for children. Austin said government cuts took about 40 to 50% of his budget. 'Funding cuts directly threaten our ability to positively impact the lives of these young people, as well as their families,' he said. Sherman said Mental Health America of Northwest Indiana serves about 4,000 families in Northwest Indiana. About 80 to 85% percent of its clients are small children ages 0 to 4. Her staff of about 100 employees make about 15,000 home visits annually. 'Our entire goal is on the early intervention or prevention side of mental health,' she said. 'Many of the executive orders have created uncertainty around funding, an increased administrative burden, and narrowed the flexibility needed to provide mental health and Family Wellness services in Northwest Indiana,' she said. Those who suffer the most are children facing trauma in communities already living at the margins, she said. Trowbridge said CoAction, based in Crown Point, offers housing support, federal energy assistance, and aging and disability services. She said cutbacks will mean a 5% drop for aging and disability services. She also said $10 million in federal energy assistance could be at risk. Anoe said nonprofits are able to apply for a Resilience grant on Legacy's website, Organizations must show documented financial losses that are a direct result of federal or state funding cuts or terminated contracts. Eligible organizations can apply for up to 25% of their loss with a maximum of $40,000 within a year.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Activity carts help classrooms celebrate
SARANAC LAKE — Classrooms at Petrova and Bloomingdale elementary schools are using new activity carts to celebrate special occasions, thanks to support from a Franklin County program that promotes nutrition and physical activity. The carts were purchased by The Heart Network's Creating Healthy Schools & Communities program, which is funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Health. The carts are equipped with a variety of games and activities that can be used for birthdays and other parties, including dice sets, floor and dance mats, chalk kits, charades for kids and more. 'These carts are bringing joy and happiness to our students,' Bloomingdale Elementary School Principal Katie Laba said. 'The materials on the carts are active items and replace the old traditions of bringing cupcakes or treats in, and have replaced it with active, fun and collaborative games and physical activities.' 'Activity carts are becoming more popular in classrooms, not just for celebrations but also to help teachers to keep students engaged throughout the school day,' sArriana Patraw, The Heart Network's community health improvement coordinator, said. 'These mobile carts are signed out by teachers, who use them to get kids out of their seats and moving. Short, in-classroom breaks are effective in stimulating learning, especially when the activities promote movement and teamwork.' The Heart Network's CHSC program works with schools across Franklin County to support initiatives that bolster physical activity, nutrition and wellness. In Saranac Lake, CHSC recently helped the Farm to School program complete upgrades to its greenhouses and school gardens. In Tupper Lake, CHSC funding helped set up the All Kids Bike program and equip LP Quinn with Strider bikes. For more information about the CHSC program at The Heart Network, visit or contact Arriana Patraw at apatraw@
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine sues Trump administration in 1st case involving Title IX dispute
Apr. 7—Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration Monday challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision to withhold federal funds because Maine law allows transgender athletes to compete in girls high school sports. Frey's office said funds withheld by the Trump administration are used to feed children in schools, child care centers and after-school programming, as well as disabled adults in congregate settings. It is the first lawsuit to directly result from the Trump administration's actions targeting Maine over transgender athletes in women's sports that stem from a confrontation between the president and Gov. Janet Mills in February. "Under the banner of keeping children safe, the Trump administration is illegally withholding grant funds that go to keeping children fed," Frey said in a written statement. "This is just another example where no law or consequence appears to restrain the administration as it seeks capitulation to its lawlessness. The president and his Cabinet secretaries do not make the law and they are not above the law, and this action is necessary to remind the president that Maine will not be bullied into violating the law." The suit filed in the U.S. District Court of Maine in Bangor comes less than a week after USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the agency was freezing its funding to Maine for certain "administrative and technological functions in schools." The letter Rollins sent to Mills on Wednesday did not specify how much money has been frozen or what programs it will impact. Though Rollins' letter said the freeze would not impact programs providing food to children, the Maine Department of Education said Friday that it had lost access to funds for administrative staff overseeing the feeding programs. Critics said even though the USDA is continuing to provide reimbursements for the school meals themselves, the program will struggle to feed children without those workers. The Maine DOE was "still working to determine the extent" of possible impacts to other funds, including grants supporting its Child and Adult Care Food Program, Farm to School state formula grant, equipment assistance grant and technology funds, spokesperson Chloe Teboe said in an email Monday. The Trump administration is arguing that Maine policy on transgender athletes violates the federal Title IX law because it violates the rights of women and girls. "You cannot openly violate federal law against discrimination in education and expect federal funding to continue unabated. Your defiance of federal law has cost your state, which is bound by Title IX in educational programming," Rollins wrote in the letter. "This is only the beginning, though you are free to end it at any time by protecting women and girls in compliance with federal law." Frey, however, argues that Rollins has not provided any legal basis for her interpretation of Title IX, which would exclude transgender women from women's sports. "And her interpretation is wrong," Frey said in the complaint. "Indeed, several federal courts have held that Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause require schools to permit transgender girls and women to play on girls' and women's sports." Frey also said that the USDA failed to adhere to federal rules requiring certain steps to take place before the agency can revoke funds. "Instead, without any prior notice, investigation, administrative proceeding, or other semblance of legally sufficient process, the secretary simply sent a letter to Maine's governor announcing the freeze," Frey wrote in the complaint. That procedural failing renders the question of how to interpret Title IX irrelevant in this instance, Frey states. He requested the court vacate Rollins' order and institute a preliminary or permanent injunction to stop the freeze of additional funding. Frey also requested a temporary restraining order blocking Rollins and the USDA — the defendants named in the suit — from freezing or terminating other federal funds "without complying with the legally required procedures." Danna Hayes, spokesperson for the Office of the Maine Attorney General, said she did not know when the next steps would take place in the court proceedings. She said that Maine was alone in filing this lawsuit, unlike several previous cases against the Trump administration, in which Maine joined broad coalitions of states. The USDA did not return requests for comment Monday. Maine has been the target of multiple federal investigations, many hinging on Title IX, following a public clash between Mills and President Donald Trump at the White House in February. At the event, Trump called out Mills and demanded she comply with his executive order designed to bar transgender athletes from women's sports. Mills said she would follow the law, to which Trump countered that "We are the federal law." "See you in court," Mills said. Maine's allowance of transgender women to compete stems from the Maine Human Rights Act, which has included some form of protections for individuals' gender identity since 2005. The law currently prohibits discrimination in education "and all extracurricular activities" on the basis of one's gender identity. Staff Writer Riley Board contributed reporting. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Texas food banks, farmers and families make tough choices in the wake of USDA food program cuts
There are more food-insecure families in Texas than any state in the nation. The problem is acute in Dallas-Fort Worth, where one in seven — a third of them children — face hunger. "In North Texas, things have been tight,' Anne Readhimer, Chief Impact Officer for North Texas Food Bank, told CBS News. 'Everyone is just needing a little bit more help these days.' I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Here are 3 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? That's why the axing of the USDA's Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) hits hard. Readhimer said the food bank and schools in North Texas relied on these programs to get fresh produce to those in need. "We're still waiting to get a better understanding of how we're going to make up for it.' she said. In 2020, Readhimer's food bank [received] $9.2 million through the LFPA program to buy fresh produce and meat from Texas farmers. That money isn't there anymore. Readhimer said without it, the cuts impact local farmers, too. Read more: Trump warns his tariffs will spark a 'disturbance' in America — use this 1 dead-simple move to help shockproof your retirement plans ASAP Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller defended the USDA's budget cuts in a press release, "These changes also provide an opportunity for states to assume greater responsibility in shaping their own programs," he said. Miller said Texas would continue to run its Farm to School and Farm to Food Bank initiatives, with less reliance on federal funding. Local leaders and food advocates note that the loss of USDA funding will definitely make it harder for schools to provide meals to the 250,000 children who rely on them for their daily nutrition. The Trump administration's cuts to federal food assistance programs highlight the challenge families across the U.S. face in eating nutritious meals on a budget. Here are some strategies to keep your food budget on track at home. Meal planning is key. Streamline your grocery list and avoid impulse buys by creating a weekly menu based on affordable, healthy recipes. Keep stock of what you have at home. Knowing what's in your pantry and fridge and using it will cut down on food waste and unnecessary purchases. Be smart at the grocery store. Compare prices, buy in bulk, and choose store brands over name brands. Meanwhile, you can support your neighbors with their own food security by contributing to local food banks, whether by donating money, non-perishables or time as a volunteer. Business owners can partner with local farmers and suppliers and donate excess food. Companies that give employees access to nutritious food contribute to a healthier, more productive workforce overall. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Cost-of-living in America is still out of control — and prices could keep climbing. Use these 3 'real assets' to protect your wealth today, no matter what Trump does This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Farm to School cut hits central Minnesota producers
Mar. 21---- Just a few weeks ago, Cindy VanDerPol put together bids to supply the , and — school districts next school year with beef, pork, chicken and eggs raised on her family's Pastures A Plenty farm between Clara City and Kerkhoven. She contacted small-town meat processors and a hatchery in the area to make sure they would be able to meet the farm's needs if awarded the bids. "The Farm to School Program was going to make a big impact on our farm," VanDerPol told U.S. Sen. Tina Smith , D-Minn., at a gathering of local food producers Tuesday at the Becker Market in Willmar. A few weeks after VanDerPol put her bids together, the announced it was ending funding for the Farm to School and other programs allowing child care centers and food shelves to purchase foods from local producers. The USDA will not honor agreements to provide more than $17 million over three years to help Minnesota schools purchase food from local farmers, according to a March 12, 2025, report by Minnesota Public Radio. Three generations of the VanDerPol family operate the farm, and are impacted directly by the federal budget cut, VanDerPol told Smith. VanDerPol said the impact will be felt well beyond her family's farm. Four different communities are affected too, as the processors who would have worked with the family will not see that economic activity, she pointed out. The Farm to School funding helps family farmers, and benefits the rural economy while also providing children with good nutrition, Smith said in response. "If suddenly the rug gets yanked out from under you, then it has a lot of ripple effects through the community, not to mention your business," she said. "The last time I checked, it's not easy to make a ton of money farming," she added. Buying local foods is not only good for the rural economy, it's also important for young people to know where their food comes from, according to Jeanine Bowman, food services director for the "It is truly about teaching our kids where their food comes from," Bowman told Smith. The purchases a wide variety of local foods for its students, thanks in part to Beverly Dougherty, founder and director of the Becker Market, according to Bowman. Her work makes possible a consistent supply of local foods for the district and area, she explained. Since its start about 17 years ago, the Becker Market has served as a food hub for local producers. Fresh and locally raised vegetables, fruits, meats and other products are available at the market year-round. Dougherty and her son, Jason, distribute the products to locations in a roughly 50-mile radius of Willmar, assuring a consistent supply of locally-raised foods to people in the region. Bowman said students in Morris appreciate the quality of local foods. She laughingly said she fears there would be a "revolt" in the district if it could not maintain its fresh egg fry every Thursday. Janeen Peterson, food and nutrition services director for the , told Sen. Smith that the nutritional value and the sustainability of growing our own foods is very important. Local food producers at the session said the Becker Market and food hub has helped them grow their operations. Dan Moe, an organic vegetable producer with in Hutchinson, said that until the Becker Market opened, he believed the only market for local foods was in the more populated area east of Hutchinson. Kent and Lori Peterson, of in Benson, said they've seen demand grow as well, especially last year. Thanks to the food hub and the market access it provides, they are able to grow in larger quantities. In fact, at what would be considered retirement age, they are expanding and adding a greenhouse, Kent Peterson told Smith. He urged the senator to continue working in Washington to support local foods. "We need your support to help people like Beverly, which in turn helps people like us," he said. Smith said she would continue to work in support of local foods. She decried the decision to cut funding for a program when it was expected to be in place for the coming year and more. "This is about the federal government making an agreement with a farmer in this country saying 'if you do this, we'll do that' and this administration is not living up to those agreements. (It's) putting farmers in an untenable position," Smith said.
