A massive food shortage is imminent, food banks warn
As federal funding expires, more than 50 million people are at risk of facing hunger.
Ascase of coronavirus are quicklyon the rise nationwideAmericans depend more than ever from food banks and diet pants. Unfortunately, such heavy reliability also means that these locations are exhausted with resources - and quickly.
Texas food banks, for example, are alreadyPrepare food shortages Between now and the first months of 2021. In addition to more Texans in need of consistent access to food, three key federal and state programs that have enabled food banks in the state to follow this year's request on the point to end. (In touch:8 groceries who can soon be in the short diet.)
"Food insecurity is twice as high as before the pandemic. We had a lot of federal support and everything goes to the end of the year" Celia Cole, CEO ofTexas-Who coordinates the 21 food banks - told theTexas Tribune. "We are confronted with a kind of food cliff and we are concerned about the duration of the length of demand without the help of the federal government."
The diet of southern Florida is currently facing similar challenges. From this week, food banks in the region will no longer have access toabout 8.4 million product production pounds,dairy, dry products and meat Give customers in need. The CARES ACT program, which provided the $ 5 million a month food bank since April, should expire on December 31.
"There is about being a huge huge need of South Florida," Paco Vélez, President and Chief Executive Officer to feed South Florida, "saidSun-Sentinel. "What we have received from the [US Department of Agriculture] has fed 50,000 additional families. So we will buy $ 2 million of wholesale food today, and it will last to us a few weeks. We can, realistic , do this once again in mid-December, then that's it. "
In early October, America's food warned that it could face a deficit up to 10 billion food books between this month and June 2021 - it's aShortage of about 8 billion meal. As coronaviruses continues to exacerbate job losses nationally, but especially in major and densely populated cities.
In New York, about1.5 million people can not currently afford to eat food. TheNew York Times Reports that tens of thousands of residents have at some point, if not regularly, aligned outside the food pants for the first time in their lives this year. And context pantries are beginning to appear in vacant buildings to help track the growing demand. For example, inGardner, KansasA catering church now hosts "The Hope Market" Pantry of food twice a month to help families in the metropolitan area.
In the end, if the federal funding is not renewed in a quasi-year, the country could be in a devastating hunger crisis. Nourish America currently plans thatMore than 50 million people Could undergo food insecurity - a 50% increase compared to 2019.
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