A nother week, another realization about how the federal government affects local people’s lives. Last week, local nonprofit NeighborImpact sent out a warning about its ability to help keep people fed . Recent cuts to food programs would mean a 17% reduction in the amount of food it can provide to the tens of thousands of people in the region who have relied on its offerings over the last several months, its executive director told the Source.
Federal funding reductions for food programs are coming in a number of forms. In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would end the 2025 funding for two programs that began during the pandemic, including the Local Food Purchase Assistance program and the Local Food for Schools programs — both which fed hungry people, as well as benefiting local farmers by funneling Oregon-grown food into Oregon food banks and schools.
On top of those cuts, the USDA also cut its funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program by one-third — a move that prompted pushback by the Oregon State Senate , and the state’s Democratic delegation in Washington, D.C., this month.
Oh, and then there’s the looming threat to cut food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that helps low-income Americans buy food, all in the name of cutting the federal budget. The idea there is that states will step in to cover a portion of the federal SNAP program’s costs. That’s dicey, according to the nonpartisan policy institute, Center for American Progress. During economic downturns, states have seen decreased tax revenues and have historically been unable to keep up with the costs of SNAP. Cuts like that could affect some 43 million Americans, the Center’s recent analysis suggests…