Reactions to USDA ending program that provided aid to food banks
Related Story
Joel Arauza in Las Milpas said has to closely watch every dime he spends.
Arauza said his family's budget has gotten tighter even while relying on food assistance programs such as SNAP. His income sometimes isn't enough, Arauza said.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Agriculture Department announced they’re ending two pandemic-era programs that provided more than $1 billion for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers and producers.
READ MORE: USDA ends program that helped schools serve food from local farmers
Arauza said he wonders how these recent changes will impact his family.
Channel 5 News asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins about the cuts during a March 19 press conference she held in San Juan.
“This was funding that had been set aside for a specific purpose during the Joe Biden era that had run its course that was no longer needed,” Rollins said. “Under Trump, when a program’s goal ends, it's time to end the program."
Channel 5 News reached out to the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, which serves the mid and lower Rio Grande Valley, but they declined to comment.
The South Texas Food Bank, which serves Starr County, said in a statement they remain committed to working with local producers to strengthen local food systems and provide healthy food.
Watch the video above for the full story.
News
