Florida food banks feel the sting of DOGE cuts

Federal backing cuts are starving nutrient banks

Federal backing cuts are starving nutrient banks 02:52

Miami — Before sunrise connected a caller May day, workers astatine the Miami-area food bank Feeding South Florida move, load and stack pallets of nutrient and household goods onto trucks.

With the assistance of volunteers, this flurry of enactment has allowed the enactment to administer nutrient to 1.2 cardinal radical passim 4 Florida counties. 

The nutrient goes to radical similar Rosalyn Budgett, who lives connected a fixed income and comes to Feeding South Florida each 2 months.
 
"I'm capable to get a balanced repast connected a regular basis," Budgett told CBS News. 

She says that without the nutrient bank, "I'd astir apt starve."
 
But the assistance she relies connected has been reduced. In March, the White House's Department of Government Efficiency cut funding for astir $1 cardinal worthy of U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. The 2 national programs that were chopped allowed schools and nutrient banks to acquisition nutrient straight from section farmers and producers.

"We've been seeing bare racks since February," Paco Velez, CEO of Feeding South Florida, told CBS News. "These cuts person truly made an impact, not conscionable connected our quality to serve, but connected the families' quality to thrive successful South Florida and crossed the country." 

For Feeding South Florida, the cuts magnitude to 40% of its $37 cardinal yearly budget.

"It's an unfortunate situation, due to the fact that we spot that our families are desperate," Velez said. "They're coming successful much often than they ever have. And we're trying to support arsenic overmuch nutrient arsenic we can. But determination is simply a small desperation."

The enactment of cars for play nutrient organisation astatine Ebenezer Church successful South Miami has lone gotten longer implicit the years.

Pastor Roberto Blanco, who gets portion of the proviso from Feeding South Florida's warehouse, is moving with less. 

The concern is affecting farmers too. East Coast Farm and Vegetables adjacent Parkland, Florida, partnered with Feeding South Florida to usage national dollars to prime and battalion surplus nutrient destined for families successful need.

"This program...is a large usage of our taxation dollars," said Katelyn Garcia, vice president of East Coast Farm and Vegetables. "We are not lone helping our farmers...here successful the States, but you're besides feeding families."

Without the funds to process the produce, farmers are hoping crops won't spell to waste.
 
Says Garcia: "We cognize that the extremity end is to provender radical and we request to enactment towards that goal."

In:
• Department of Government Efficiency
• Miami
• Florida
• Food Banks

Aimee Picchi contributed to this report.