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Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal cuts gut food banks as they face record demand
This is a KFF Health News story. Food bank shortages caused by high demand and cuts to federal aid programs have some residents of a small community that straddles Idaho and Nevada growing their own food to get by. For those living in Duck Valley, a reservation of about 1,000 people that is home to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, there's just one grocery store where prices are too high for many to afford, said Brandy Bull Chief, local director of a federal food distribution program for tribes. The next-closest grocery stores are more than 100 miles away in Mountain Home, Idaho and Elko, Nevada. And the local food bank's troubles are mirrored by many nationwide, squeezed between growing need and shrinking aid. Reggie Premo, a community outreach specialist at the University of Nevada-Reno Extension, grew up cattle ranching and farming alfalfa in Duck Valley. He runs workshops to teach residents to grow produce. Premo said he has seen increased interest from tribal leaders in the state worried about high costs while living in food deserts. MORE: Serving up kindness: How to help food banks, food rescues and more tackle food insecurity this holiday "We're just trying to bring back how it used to be in the old days," Premo said, "when families used to grow gardens." Food bank managers across the country say their supplies have been strained by rising demand since the end of the COVID pandemic-era emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits two years ago and steep inflation in food prices. Now, they say, demand is compounded by recent cuts in federal funding to food distribution programs that supply staple food items to pantries nationwide. In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut $500 million from the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which buys food from domestic producers and sends it to pantries nationwide. The program has supplied more than 20% of the distributions by Feeding America, a nonprofit that serves a network of over 200 food banks and 60,000 meal programs. The collision between rising demand and falling support is especially problematic for rural communities, where the federal program can cover 50% or more of food supplied to those in need, said Vince Hall, chief government relations officer of Feeding America. Deepening the challenge for local food aid organizations is an additional $500 million the Trump administration slashed from the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which helped state, tribal and territorial governments buy fresh food from nearby producers. "The urgency of this crisis cannot be overstated," Hall said, adding that the Emergency Food Assistance Program is "rural America's hunger lifeline." Farmers who benefited from the USDA programs that distributed their products to food banks and schools will also be affected. Bill Green is executive director for the Southeast region of Common Market, a nonprofit that connects farmers with organizations in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Great Lakes and Texas. Green said his organization won't be able to fill the gap left by the federal cuts, but he hopes some schools and other institutions will continue buying from those farmers even after the federal support dries up. "I think that that food access challenge has only been aggravated, and I think we just found the tip of the iceberg on that," he said. MORE: Elon Musk approval low, reflecting opposition to Trump cuts: POLL Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha, Nebraska, for example, is experiencing four times the demand this year than in 2018, according to Stephanie Sullivan, its assistant director of marketing and communications. The organization expects to provide food to 580,000 households across the 93 counties it serves in Nebraska and western Iowa this fiscal year, the highest number in its history, she said. "These numbers should be a wake-up call for all of us," Sullivan said. The South Plains Food Bank in Texas projects it will distribute approximately 121,000 food boxes this year to people in need across the 19 counties it serves, compared with an average 90,000 annually before the pandemic. CEO Dina Jeffries said the organization now is serving about 25% more people, while shouldering the burden of decreased funding and food products. In Nevada, the food bank that helps serve communities in the northern part of the state, including the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, provides food to an average of 160,000 people per month. That's a 76% increase over its clientele before the pandemic, and the need continues to rise, said Jocelyn Lantrip, director of marketing and communications for the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. Lantrip said one of the most troubling things for the food bank is that the USDA commodities shipped for local distribution often are foods that donations don't usually cover -- things like eggs, dairy and meat. "That's really valuable food to our neighbors," she said. "Protein is very difficult to replace." Forty percent of people who sought assistance from food banks during the pandemic did so for the first time, Hall said. "Many of those families have come to see their neighborhood food bank not as a temporary resource for emergency help but an essential component of their monthly budget equation." About 47 million people lived in food-insecure households in 2023, the most recent USDA data available. Bull Chief, who also runs a small food pantry on the Duck Valley Reservation, said workers drive to Elko to pick up food distributed by the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. But sometimes there's not much to choose from. In March, the food pantry cut down its operation to just two weeks a month. She said sometimes they must weigh whether it's worth spending money on gas to pick up a small amount of food. When the food pantry opened in 2020, Bull Chief said, it helped 10 to 20 households a month. That number is 60 or more now, made up of a broad range of community members -- teens fresh out of high school and living on their own, elders and people who don't have permanent housing or jobs. She said providing even small amounts of food can help households make ends meet between paychecks or SNAP benefit deposits. "Whatever they need to get to survive for the month," Bull Chief said. MORE: Some small businesses are on the brink after Trump's spending cuts affect contracts Pinched food banks, elevated need and federal cuts mean there's very little resiliency in the system, Hall said. Additional challenges, like an economic slowdown, policy changes to SNAP or other federal nutrition programs, or natural disasters could render food banks unable to meet needs "because they are stretched to the breaking point right now." A proposed budget resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in April would require $1.7 trillion in net funding cuts, and anti-hunger advocates fear SNAP could be a target. More people living in rural parts of the country rely on SNAP than people in urban areas because of higher poverty rates, so they would be disproportionately affected. An extension of the federal 2018 Farm Bill, which lasts until Sept. 30, included about $450 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program for this year. But the funding that remains doesn't offset the cuts, Hall said. He hopes lawmakers pass a new farm bill this year with enough money to do so. "We don't have a food shortage," he said. "We have a shortage of political will." Federal cuts gut food banks as they face record demand originally appeared on
29-04-2025
- Business
Federal cuts gut food banks as they face record demand
This is a KFF Health News story. Food bank shortages caused by high demand and cuts to federal aid programs have some residents of a small community that straddles Idaho and Nevada growing their own food to get by. For those living in Duck Valley, a reservation of about 1,000 people that is home to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, there's just one grocery store where prices are too high for many to afford, said Brandy Bull Chief, local director of a federal food distribution program for tribes. The next-closest grocery stores are more than 100 miles away in Mountain Home, Idaho and Elko, Nevada. And the local food bank's troubles are mirrored by many nationwide, squeezed between growing need and shrinking aid. Reggie Premo, a community outreach specialist at the University of Nevada-Reno Extension, grew up cattle ranching and farming alfalfa in Duck Valley. He runs workshops to teach residents to grow produce. Premo said he has seen increased interest from tribal leaders in the state worried about high costs while living in food deserts. "We're just trying to bring back how it used to be in the old days," Premo said, "when families used to grow gardens." Food bank managers across the country say their supplies have been strained by rising demand since the end of the COVID pandemic-era emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits two years ago and steep inflation in food prices. Now, they say, demand is compounded by recent cuts in federal funding to food distribution programs that supply staple food items to pantries nationwide. In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut $500 million from the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which buys food from domestic producers and sends it to pantries nationwide. The program has supplied more than 20% of the distributions by Feeding America, a nonprofit that serves a network of over 200 food banks and 60,000 meal programs. The collision between rising demand and falling support is especially problematic for rural communities, where the federal program can cover 50% or more of food supplied to those in need, said Vince Hall, chief government relations officer of Feeding America. Deepening the challenge for local food aid organizations is an additional $500 million the Trump administration slashed from the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which helped state, tribal and territorial governments buy fresh food from nearby producers. "The urgency of this crisis cannot be overstated," Hall said, adding that the Emergency Food Assistance Program is "rural America's hunger lifeline." Farmers who benefited from the USDA programs that distributed their products to food banks and schools will also be affected. Bill Green is executive director for the Southeast region of Common Market, a nonprofit that connects farmers with organizations in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Great Lakes and Texas. Green said his organization won't be able to fill the gap left by the federal cuts, but he hopes some schools and other institutions will continue buying from those farmers even after the federal support dries up. "I think that that food access challenge has only been aggravated, and I think we just found the tip of the iceberg on that," he said. Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha, Nebraska, for example, is experiencing four times the demand this year than in 2018, according to Stephanie Sullivan, its assistant director of marketing and communications. The organization expects to provide food to 580,000 households across the 93 counties it serves in Nebraska and western Iowa this fiscal year, the highest number in its history, she said. "These numbers should be a wake-up call for all of us," Sullivan said. The South Plains Food Bank in Texas projects it will distribute approximately 121,000 food boxes this year to people in need across the 19 counties it serves, compared with an average 90,000 annually before the pandemic. CEO Dina Jeffries said the organization now is serving about 25% more people, while shouldering the burden of decreased funding and food products. In Nevada, the food bank that helps serve communities in the northern part of the state, including the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, provides food to an average of 160,000 people per month. That's a 76% increase over its clientele before the pandemic, and the need continues to rise, said Jocelyn Lantrip, director of marketing and communications for the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. Lantrip said one of the most troubling things for the food bank is that the USDA commodities shipped for local distribution often are foods that donations don't usually cover -- things like eggs, dairy and meat. "That's really valuable food to our neighbors," she said. "Protein is very difficult to replace." Forty percent of people who sought assistance from food banks during the pandemic did so for the first time, Hall said. "Many of those families have come to see their neighborhood food bank not as a temporary resource for emergency help but an essential component of their monthly budget equation." About 47 million people lived in food-insecure households in 2023, the most recent USDA data available. Bull Chief, who also runs a small food pantry on the Duck Valley Reservation, said workers drive to Elko to pick up food distributed by the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. But sometimes there's not much to choose from. In March, the food pantry cut down its operation to just two weeks a month. She said sometimes they must weigh whether it's worth spending money on gas to pick up a small amount of food. When the food pantry opened in 2020, Bull Chief said, it helped 10 to 20 households a month. That number is 60 or more now, made up of a broad range of community members -- teens fresh out of high school and living on their own, elders and people who don't have permanent housing or jobs. She said providing even small amounts of food can help households make ends meet between paychecks or SNAP benefit deposits. "Whatever they need to get to survive for the month," Bull Chief said. Pinched food banks, elevated need and federal cuts mean there's very little resiliency in the system, Hall said. Additional challenges, like an economic slowdown, policy changes to SNAP or other federal nutrition programs, or natural disasters could render food banks unable to meet needs "because they are stretched to the breaking point right now." A proposed budget resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in April would require $1.7 trillion in net funding cuts, and anti-hunger advocates fear SNAP could be a target. More people living in rural parts of the country rely on SNAP than people in urban areas because of higher poverty rates, so they would be disproportionately affected. An extension of the federal 2018 Farm Bill, which lasts until Sept. 30, included about $450 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program for this year. But the funding that remains doesn't offset the cuts, Hall said. He hopes lawmakers pass a new farm bill this year with enough money to do so. "We don't have a food shortage," he said. "We have a shortage of political will."
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Yahoo
Wisconsin man arrested after high-speed chase, PIT maneuver in Eau Claire
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WFRV) – A 35-year-old man from Wisconsin was taken into custody late Thursday night following a dangerous high-speed pursuit that ended with a PIT maneuver in Eau Claire. According to the Eau Claire Police Department, officers attempted a traffic stop shortly after 11 p.m. near North Hastings Way and Eddy Lane. The vehicle, driven by Andrew Premo of Chippewa Falls, was reportedly displaying license plates that did not match the car, and the registered owner was known to be incarcerated. Neenah gas stations display fraud warnings amid surge in Bitcoin ATM scams Premo failed to stop and fled from officers, initiating a chase. The pursuit was initially terminated after entering the Village of Lake Hallie in Chippewa County. The Eau Claire County Sheriff's Office then took over and continued the pursuit as the vehicle reentered Eau Claire. Authorities successfully deployed tire deflation devices during the chase. A PIT maneuver was used to bring the vehicle to a temporary stop at South Hastings Way and Clairemont Avenue. Premo attempted to flee again but was quickly boxed in. After a brief standoff, he was taken into custody. A search of the vehicle revealed 41 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, packaging materials, prescription medication, marijuana, and various items of drug paraphernalia. Overnight search of 'massive' Appleton warehouse ends in arrest of burglary suspect While formal charges had not yet been filed at the time of publication, Premo was arrested on the following potential charges: Knowingly fleeing an officer Second-degree recklessly endangering safety Possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine Possession of drug paraphernalia Possession of illegally obtained prescription drugs Possession of THC No additional details have been released. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
More than 11,700 people experienced homelessness in Ohio last year, new federal report shows
(Stock photo) The number of people experiencing homelessness in Ohio increased about 3% last year, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. There were 11,759 people experiencing homelessness in Ohio in 2024, according to HUD's annual Homelessness Assessment Report. The report came out last month. Nearly 80% of those experiencing homelessness in Ohio were sheltered while the rest were unsheltered, according to the report. 'More and more folks are experiencing homelessness because we have an affordable housing crisis, not just here in central Ohio, but nationally and until we are able to build enough … affordable housing, we're going to continue to have this challenge with people sleeping on the streets,' said Mike Premo, executive director of the United Methodist Church and Community Development for All People in Columbus. They host a warming center at a nearby church that holds 40 people a night. 'We're seeing more and more folks that are sleeping in doorways along Parsons Avenue,' Premo said. Homelessness in the U.S. increased 18% last year with 771,480 people experiencing homelessness, according to the report. 'It is evident that there is an increase in homelessness across the United States, and that communities are feeling the pressure of the rising rent prices and just the lack of the supply of housing and communities all across the U.S.,' said Amy Riegel, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The main cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing, according to COHHIO. 'The number one solution is the availability of housing that is affordable to individuals, so that they can exit homelessness, and so the more housing that we can bring to bear within our communities, the more units that can be available and that can be open,' Riegel said. About 1 in 5 people experiencing homelessness nationally was 55 or older and nearly half of them were experiencing unsheltered homelessness in places not intended for human habitation, according to the report. 'Many of them just simply couldn't afford to live in their homes, or they were living with family members that could no longer keep them in their homes, and they're finding their way out to the street,' said Ben Sears, executive director of the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless. Veterans were the only population to see a decline in homelessness rates — dropping 8%, according to the report. More than 32,800 veterans were experiencing homelessness nationally. 'I am skeptical of any numbers that show a decrease in homelessness for any population,' Premo said. 'I just don't see how that's possible. It is an enduring tragedy that in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, people who fought, served our country honorably, are on the streets.' HUD's Point-in-Time count are one-night estimates of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness that took place in January 2024. 'The count is critical,' Premo said. 'The better our count is, the more likely we are to get more funds from HUD for programs supporting homeless emergency shelters.' Franklin County's annual Point-in-Time Count was Thursday. 'They try to make these counts as accurate as possible, but there's always going to be an under count because there are people who are genuinely suspicious of any government agency asking for information and they're not going to share it,' Premo said. 'The problem is actually greater than what the numbers would show.' While Point-in-Time counts can useful snapshots of those experiencing homelessness, they often don't include those who are doubled up liviing in a basement, living in a garage or out of their car, Sears said. 'It really underrepresents those individuals who have severe mental illness, substance use disorder and other kinds of barriers to accessing resources,' he said. Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
