Food Banks in North Carolina Hit By Funding Cuts

The Department of Agriculture reportedly informed North Carolina officials that it will no longer fund the state’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Program — which helps fund food banks like the nonprofit Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

The food bank’s CEO, Amy Beros, told WUNC that

the $2 million in federal funds the nonprofit would have received would go directly to farmers for the purchase of fresh food that’s then distributed across the 34 counties they serve…

“Please reconsider this program,” she said. “These are our farmers. These are neighbors across our counties that are in need, and this is going to [have] a huge impact economically.”

Moving forward, the organization is looking for possible state funds to help mitigate the loss. In the 34 counties that the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina serves, Beros said hunger has been steadily increasing in recent years.