The Trump administration canceled 94 million pounds of food aid in recent months. Here’s what didn’t make it to Virginia charities.
As Virginia’s food banks struggle to meet increased demand, the federal government canceled food purchasing contracts that could have fed thousands of needy residents for months, an analysis by the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO shows.
More than 1.7 million pounds of food aid earmarked for Virginia’s seven main food banks was canceled between May and August, according to data obtained by ProPublica. Among the lost shipments was about 550,000 pounds of chicken. Based on average consumption, the federal cuts translate to no chicken for nearly 6,400 typical households for four months.
Chicken is just one of nearly a dozen protein and dairy food items on the list of the canceled shipments. The amount of milk orders would have been enough to supply about 2,300 households for the same period, according to the VCIJ analysis. ProPublica obtained the data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The nonprofit investigative news organization found that the Trump administration canceled 94 million pounds of food aid to charities across the U.S. in the spring and summer.
Food bank officials in Virginia say the canceled resources could have helped them tackle a combination of challenges that have increased demand for food assistance in the past few months. The seven main food banks supply a network of community charities, providing more than 170 million pounds of food to families annually.
“The last few weeks brought added challenges stemming from uncertainty as a result of the government shutdown,” said Greg Knight, a senior director at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “Federal workers working with no pay, plus the SNAP issues, led to increased spending by hunger relief organizations, which stressed the food supply at our normal vendor partners.”
