Tampa food pantry faces challenges after USDA cancels funding for schools, food banks скачать в хорошем качестве

Tampa food pantry faces challenges after USDA cancels funding for schools, food banks

Samantha Brown, the owner of local food pantry ULOC of Tampa, worries about the future of food security in her community. With the recent announcement that the USDA is canceling $1 billion in funding for schools and food banks to purchase food from local suppliers, Brown fears that a "famine in the land" could be on the horizon. "It's sad," Brown says, reflecting on the growing challenges she faces in her daily work. "We deal with a lot of people on a regular basis — they're calling, they want food, they're looking for food." The impact of the funding cuts is already being felt in her pantry. Brown’s shelves are visibly low, and she worries that the situation will only get worse. "Our pantry is almost depleted," she admits. "I’m thinking it’s going to get worse than better. It really bothers me, especially when I see kids without food. That really, really bothers me." For Brown, her mission goes far beyond providing food. Over the course of more than a decade of running her food pantry, she’s expanded her efforts to include more than just meals. She provides essential appliances, cleaning supplies, and even personal care products like shampoo and conditioner for both men and women.