The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) sudden decision to eliminate $1.5 billion in food purchase programs for schools and food banks is a troubling step backward for our country. This move directly harms families and individuals, especially at a time when food prices remain high and food insecurity is rising.
While we recognize the Administration’s authority to address wasteful government spending, these programs were anything but wasteful. A review may be reasonable, but total elimination is devastating. These initiatives put food on dining tables, ensured low-income children were fed, and kept food pantry shelves stocked for those in need — across both red and blue states, alike.
The elimination of the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program will create a massive gap that nonprofit organizations on the front lines of the nation’s food insecurity crisis cannot possibly fill.
Some may argue that these programs — initially launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — are no longer necessary. However, food insecurity has not recovered from the economic shocks of 2020 – 21 and the ongoing impacts of inflation on working American families. In fact, the problem continues to worsen, leaving more people struggling to access the food they need.
The USDA’s own data paints a stark picture of the nation’s food insecurity crisis. From 2020 to 2024, the all-food Consumer Price Index rose by 23.6% — a reality all too familiar to families struggling to put food on the table. In 2023, more than 18 million households were classified as food insecure, according to the latest USDA Household Food Security Report. This represented 13.5% of U.S. households, a sharp increase from 12.8% in 2022 and 10.2% in 2021.
At the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA (SVdP), we have deep expertise in addressing food insecurity and the way it can lead to homelessness. Ranked by Forbes magazine as the 59th largest nonprofit in the U.S. as ranked by Forbes Magazine, we provided $1.7 billion in services last year to more than five million people.
As a leader in the fight to prevent homelessness and to care for our most vulnerable populations, we urge the USDA to convene a gathering of organizations to provide our perspective and to seek solutions that work to keep people fed. We come with open minds, compassionate hearts and a commitment to collaboration to seek solutions, and we trust the USDA will act in similar good faith to alleviate the suffering of those living on the margins.
I want to thank our National President, John Berry, for his powerful and timely statement calling on the USDA to hear directly from those of us who walk daily with families impacted by hunger and food insecurity.
As Vincentians, we don’t just see statistics—we see real people. On our home visits, in our parish pantries, and through our soup kitchens, we witness the daily struggles of families doing everything they can to get by, only to find that rising food prices and lagging benefits leave them falling further behind.
Before these proposed cuts, the year-over-year increases in SNAP and food support were already far below the true cost of inflation. Now, with the USDA’s decision to cut $1.5 billion in food purchase programs, we are being asked to do even more with even less—and the truth is, community organizations cannot fill that gap alone.
Thank you, John, for elevating the voices of those who are too often unheard. Thank you for standing up and urging the USDA to listen—not just to policymakers, but to the people on the front lines: those who serve, and those who are served.
We echo your call for collaboration and compassionate solutions. Now more than ever, our faith demands both charity and justice. May your message be heard—and may it move hearts to act.