Lujan Grisham Highlights Legislation to Provide Stable Funding for Food Banks
Statement
Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham highlighted legislation today she is introducing to ensure stable and increased federal funding for emergency food banks that distribute the food to communities throughout the state.
As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Lujan Grisham voted for the Farm Bill that dedicated money for food purchases, along with $100 million a year for food banks to distribute food to communities. But the distribution money is usually whittled down to about $50 million a year, forcing organizations like the Roadrunner Food Bank to look for other sources of money.
Rep. Lujan Grisham's Food Bank Assistance Act of 2016 would make that $100 million mandatory, and would increase the mandatory funding for Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) food purchases to $500 million.
"Food banks throughout the country have to divert private donations to support the cost of storing and distributing foods to communities like Pajarito Mesa here in Bernalillo County," Rep. Lujan Grisham said. "In every case, this means that the food bank is unable to use this money to improve programs and services for their clients, or increase the purchase of fresh locally grown foods to augment the quality and variety of foods available.
"If we fully fund and make the transportation funding mandatory, food banks will no longer have to scrounge to make up the difference every year," Rep. Lujan Grisham said."
New Mexico currently receives about $2.2 million from the federal government for food purchases. The state receives about $425,000 through TEFAP for administration costs, which can be used toward transportation and storage costs.
Organizations like Roadrunner Food Bank have to make up the difference to serve isolated communities like Pajarito Mesa, where 949 households benefited last year, including 1,617 children. Today, Roadrunner Food Bank delivered 7,200 pounds of food to benefit 120-125 families at Pajarito Mesa.
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