The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed that $500 million dollars in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) food purchases that was announced last year to be funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) have been cancelled.
Items such as meat, eggs, center of the plate and high in protein items will now NOT be arriving at food banks.
What does this mean for the West Ohio Food Bank: 11 total loads of food have been cancelled, scheduled to arrive between May and September 2025.
This loss was more than 105,000 lbs. of food totaling more than $209,000.00 that would have helped to feed our hungry neighbors in West Central Ohio. Roughly 26% of food received at West Ohio Food Bank is from USDA.
Despite this setback, we are reassuring the communities in the 11 counties that we serve, that we are still here to help our hungry neighbors who are facing food insecurity, and we will continue to advocate with local, state, and federal officials for support of vital programs that provide us with food to distribute.
We will continue to work with partners like the USDA, Congress, and State government officials to ensure that families can get access to wholesome foods from our hunger relief network when they seek assistance, and that American farmers can continue to thrive, as they continue to work hard to make sure all of us are fed.
You can help by contacting local, state, and federal officials to ask for support of food banks. Volunteer at WOFB or one of its partner agencies. Host a food drive in your community or give a monetary donation to WOFB. Every $1 received can provide up to 6 meals for our hungry neighbors.
PICTURED ABOVE: WOFB CEO Tommie Harner speaks with local news media about the latest developments, and empty spots in our warehouse racks and food storage spaces