USDA Cuts Back On Hunger Relief Shipments To Massachusetts
Volunteers pass out fresh vegetables for a Thanksgiving meal at the Alameda Food Bank in Alameda, Calif., in this 2009 file photo.
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A change in vendors used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to supply badly needed food to local hunger relief organizations has severely cut back on its deliveries to the state, members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation said Tuesday.
âYou can t get enough food out there right now,â said Sasha Purpura, of the Cambridge-based Food for Free Committee. âAnd that s why these boxes were so important, because they allowed for safe distribution of food in organizations that are under-resourced and don t have, you know, huge facilities and resources.
By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square
As 2020 winds down, roughly 23 percent of households in the U.S. are struggling with food insecurity, a number that has doubled since last year.
Experts project over 50 million Americans will be food insecure in 2020, including roughly 17 million children, Craig Gundersen, a Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics professor at the University of Illinois, says.
In 2019, roughly 13.7 million U.S. families – 10.5 percent of households – experienced food insecurity at some point, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since state-mandated shutdowns began in most states in mid-March, the number of U.S. families experiencing food insecurity has roughly doubled, a number which coincides with high unemployment.
Last Truckload of Free Food To Be Handed Out
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The Quincy Family YMCA announced that they will have handing out another truckload of food on Wednesday, December 16, starting at 4 pm until supplies last. The food handout, which was made possible by the USDA Farmers, was donated to the Families Food Box Program. Anyone can stop by, however, these will go fast as the last few times food boxes were handed out they were gone in less than an hour.
Food boxes contain perishable food items such as a gallon of milk and perishable food. This time around, the YMCA has teamed up with several organizations to help make the food boxes pick up more convenient for people. You will be able to pick up food boxes at Bethel AME church located at 9th & Oak, and the Salvation Army Family Services Center at 501 Broadway; and county locations include the Mendon Congregational Church in Mendon, and the Community for Christ Assistance
Reps. Jim McGovern, Ayanna Pressley, Sen. Ed Markey press USDA over reports of food box shortages
Updated Dec 14, 2020;
Posted Dec 14, 2020
The first USDA Farmers to Families Food Box distribution took place Tuesday (June 30) at Lakewood High School.
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Unexpected shortages of food boxes and reduced service from a new U.S. Department of Agriculture contractor have left several Massachusetts food banks and schools scrambling to buy agricultural goods to adequately serve families, according to lawmakers.
Massachusetts lawmakers on Monday wrote to USDA to request a meeting after schools and food banks participating in the Farmers to Families Food Box Program reported that the Northeast region’s new contractor, New York-based Whitsons Culinary Group, could not service all the facilities that received food in prior rounds of the program.
A Community Thrives is sponsored by the USA Today Network, the parent company of the Detroit Free Press. The program invests in organizations that support education, fighting hunger, veterans issues, wellness and other community-building initiatives.
Food Rescue US is a national organization with branches across the country. The nonprofit will use the grant to expand and support its projects specifically in Detroit.
Three years ago, Darraugh Collins moved to Detroit and was reading a magazine article on a plane. The article focused on Food Rescue US and its mission. The organization originally started off as an app that connected volunteers with different food-donating entities and social services in U.S. cities.