‘not Getting The Support:’ Central Florida Food Pantries Feel Impact Of Federal Funding Freeze

1 week ago

Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando sewage backing from USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program

ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orange County nutrient pantry that partners pinch Second Harvest says it’s facing a signifigant situation owed to a frost connected national funding.

We told you precocious past period astir really nan Trump administration’s frost connected nan Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) halted each CCC-funded orders for nan U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), resulting successful nan suspension of 28 tractor-trailer loads of food meant for Second Harvest.

Now, we’re proceeding from Phillip Flynn, president of Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando (JFS Orlando). The nonprofit partners pinch Second Harvest and runs a nutrient pantry that Flynn says services astir 9 clients each 15 minutes.

“Food insecurity successful Central Florida is obscene. It is simply a immense problem that everybody talks about. We’re conscionable not getting nan support to reside it,” Flynn said.

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“Just this past week and a half ago, we sewage a announcement saying that nan programme had been put connected hold,” Flynn continued. “We were successful cognition getting that nutrient retired nan doorway erstwhile abruptly it conscionable stopped. (...) I’m missing eggs, I’m missing dairy, I’m missing beverage — evidently dairy. I’m missing caller vegetables, I’m missing fruit. The database conscionable goes connected and on. It’s nan precocious proteins, nan turkeys, nan meats that you and I request to person a patient day.”

Greg Higgerson, main improvement serviceman pinch Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, says it will costs them $1.6 cardinal successful nan short word to supply their partner pantries pinch nan nutrient they need.

“This is going to impact group crossed nan board. It’s important to recognize that we’re not nan only nutrient slope affected by this. This is happening crossed nan full country,” Higgerson said, adding 200 nutrient banks which are portion of Feeding America are each emotion nan impact.

“They’re each getting nan notices that those loads are canceled,” Higgerson continued. “I ideate nan farmers are going to beryllium emotion it very soon. It’s a large issue.”

Though there’s uncertainty astir erstwhile nan backing will resume, Higgerson said he’s hopeful that it could travel backmost adjacent year.

“We cognize that it’s not going to proceed this year,” he said.

Those willing successful supporting JFS Orlando tin donate by clicking here.

Access Second Harvest’s Food Locator by clicking here.