Statement Attributed to Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO, Feeding America
Feeding America applauds the announcement of $1 billion in additional funding for emergency food assistance by the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). These funds will help address the extraordinary need for food assistance in communities across the country as the charitable food system is experiencing declining resources.
This investment comes at a crucial time. Food insecurity in the U.S. rose again in 2023 when 47.4 million people—1 in 7 people, including 1 in 5 children—experienced food insecurity. Families and individuals experiencing hunger are working to secure access to fresh, healthy food to thrive, and these investments will provide critical resources for food banks who are ready to assist them. In support of neighbors, food banks have been operating under heightened need, with increased food purchase and transportation costs. Food programs for seniors and Native and tribal communities have been impacted by supply chain issues. Now, as communities begin to recover from Hurricane Helene, food banks are providing short-term and long-term disaster response and support.
The USDA will provide $500 million for additional food purchases for emergency food providers like food banks, along with $500 million for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program for states, tribes and territories to purchase foods for their emergency food systems from local growers.
Feeding America is grateful to the USDA for its continued commitment to hunger relief. We must all come together alongside community members facing hunger and support strong, common-sense policies for a food-secure future. This is an ongoing, collaborative effort that will require additional support from the administration and Congress, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Today’s announcement is a wonderful investment in American communities, and we urge Congress to pass a farm bill that strengthens nutrition programs like TEFAP and brings us closer to being a food-secure nation.
Contact
Please contact one of our media representatives or call 800-771-2303
About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.