L ocal food assistance organization, NeighborImpact , is sounding the alarms about a federal funding freeze that’s affecting its ability to provide food to Central Oregonians. The payment freeze, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is aimed at a set of food assistance programs that redistribute food commodities to food banks, leading to a significant decrease in food aid.
According to Scott Cooper, NeighborImpact’s executive director, the nonprofit notified its food partners last week that it’ll be getting 17% less food moving forward. In recent months, the nonprofit fed about 83,000 people in the region. With cuts to incoming products, Cooper said it will result in thousands of people not being fed, or not getting enough food.
The funding freeze is also impacting the type of food that’s given to food banks. These products include dairy, meat, eggs and produce — some of the most expensive grocery items right now, according to Cooper.
In early March, NeighborImpact went to Washington, D.C., to shed light on this issue and request support. On April 5, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum visited the nonprofit to assist in its efforts, and in the letter called for the Department of Agriculture to reverse its funding freeze …