Nearly $5 million in emergency food aid revoked

Clark County Food Bank leaders are assessing the impact of cuts to local food assistance after the Trump administration revoked nearly $5 million in emergency food aid for Washington on March 25. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s emergency food program will no longer provide chicken, turkey breasts, canned chicken, dried plums, dried cranberries and milk for food banks in Washington over the next few months, according to The Spokesman-Review. Clark County Food Bank has already experienced changes to programs that provide critical support to the community, Director of Development Rachel Beck said in an email Friday. “We are actively working with the Washington State Department of Agriculture and other partners to understand the potential long-term effects and identify solutions to continue serving those in need,” Beck said. “Our priority remains ensuring that individuals and families in Clark County have reliable access to nutritious food.” Clark County Food Bank works with 50 agencies and 100 distribution sites to provide emergency food relief with healthy and culturally relevant choices, while also addressing the underlying causes of hunger. Beck said five of the food bank’s funding sources — totaling more than $900,000 — have been paused or eliminated over the next biennium. Federal cuts have hit the food bank’s suppliers, too. John Spencer of Get-To-Gather Farm in Washougal had a $30,000 contract with Clark County Food Bank through the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance program, which began in 2022. The program aimed to maintain and improve agricultural supply chain resiliency by purchasing food from local farms. The food was then distributed through hunger relief outlets, according to the state Department of Agriculture. The USDA eliminated the program in early March. “My contract is not going to be renewed next year because that money was cut,” Spencer said. Spencer said that the elimination of the program is “a huge loss” to Clark County Food Bank and the people who use it. “This was one of the few programs that got fresh food into a food bank,” he said. “Food banks are usually filled with (things like) Cheerios. … But people need fresh food.” More than 120,000 people in Clark County experience food insecurity, according to the food bank. It manages 8 million pounds of food each year, which equals 6.7 million meals for people experiencing hunger. “During times of uncertainty, Clark County has always stepped up to take care of its neighbors,” Beck said. “We encourage everyone to check in on one another, support their local food pantry or food bank, and participate however they can — whether that means inviting someone over for dinner, volunteering time or donating funds. Small acts of kindness and community support make a big difference.” About the project: This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation that is funded by community member donations. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.

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