Julio Alonso, Executive Director and CEO of Hoosier Hills Food Bank, said he expected changes when the Trump administration entered office.
“It's not unusual, honestly, that when a new administration comes in, they will make changes of some sort that may be cuts, it may be additions, it may be reshuffling programs,” Alonso said. “So that's kind of expected.”
But, he added, this year has been “more of a whirlwind” because the cuts are directly impacting Hoosier Hills’ food supply.
The non-profit organization’s supply deficit comes after it lost at least 62,000 pounds of food after the United States Department of Agriculture canceled $500 million in food deliveries. Hoosier Hills provides over five million pounds of food each year to about 90 food pantries, kitchen shelters, and youth programs in six counties in South Central Indiana —Monroe, Lawrence, Orange, Brown, Martin, and Owen.
The non-profit also supplies food directly to individuals with programs like mobile pantries and a senior food box program. Hoosier Hills member agencies estimate that HHFB serves around 52,000 households every month.
HHFB staff have identified about eight canceled food shipments that were supposed to arrive through July. Alonso expects to receive even more shipments to be canceled in the upcoming months.
“We are hopeful that this is a temporary pause, and that the administration will redirect this funding and this food through a program of its own,” said Alonso.
In the meantime, HHFB is urging the community to reach out to legislators.
“Beyond that, all we can really do at this point is raise more money to buy more food,” Alonso said.
The group’s largest food drive, Stamp Out Hunger, is May 1.
“We remain committed to ensuring that none of our neighbors go hungry,” Alonso said. “That is our core mission, and that is what we are going to dedicate all our efforts to doing.”
Read more: USDA cuts could limit local food assistance