Statement attributable to Vince Hall, Chief Government Relations Officer of Feeding America
“Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief network of food banks, state associations, food pantries and meal programs, applauds U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) first round of TEFAP (the Emergency Food Assistance Program) Reach and Resiliency grants, totaling more than $39 million to 38 state agencies to improve the program’s reach into remote, rural, tribal, and/or low-income areas that are currently underserved by the program.
“These grants, along with the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, are a great step towards increasing support to the emergency food system. Since the start of the pandemic, Feeding America food banks have delivered 11 billion meals to people facing hunger across the U.S., though disruptions in the food supply chain continue to hamper these efforts.
“These investments in food system solutions and infrastructure will help shore up the nation’s emergency food supply so that people can have access to nutritious food, regardless of their zip code. Feeding America looks forwards to working with USDA and state agencies to implement these grants at the local level.”
Contact
Please contact one of our media representatives or call 800-771-2303
About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on X.com.