Maryville, TN (WOKI) The federal government has canceled almost $1 million in food shipments to East Tennessee’s Second Harvest Food Bank.
Officials with Second Harvest say 21 tractor-trailer loads, more than 370,000 pounds of food, are paused due to a federal review of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodities Credit Corporation, the funding source for the food.
Second Harvest says the shipments were scheduled to arrive between April and July and that the cancellation will affect more than 31,000 East Tennesseans each month across each of the 18 counties they serve.
“The loss of these shipments is significant and impacts a critical element of our hunger-relief programs for communities in need,” – Executive Director Elaine Streno of Second Harvest Food Bank
Second Harvest is taking steps to replace the products at this time.
“While we’re concerned by the diminished capacity to serve our neighbors, we remain committed to strengthening food access for East Tennesseans and provide adequate nutrition for a healthy life,” said Elaine Streno, executive director of Second Harvest. “This is a crucial time for our community to step up. We ask the public to continue supporting our hunger-relief efforts by hosting food drives and providing financial support. Together, we will provide adequate nutrition for more than 200,000 individuals who experience food insecurity.”
Matthew Blondell with Second Harvest said that families in East Tennessee who rely on food assistance may soon face shortages as major federal funding cuts to the USDA have disrupted food bank shipments nationwide.
For more information about Second Harvest’s food access programs, or to support: SecondHarvestETN.org.
