Food Banks throughout Louisiana are feeling the burden of the federal government shutdown. Pat Van Burkleo, the executive director of Feeding Louisiana, says food banks already came under financial hardship earlier this year, with the change in presidential administrations.
“We had been DOGE’d about $6 million for a program that will allow us to buy local produce to put into food banks. And then we got another $16 million cut from the feds delivering food directly to the food banks,” Van Burkleo explained.
Van Burkleo says amid those funding cuts, other entities are stepping up to help.
“We’re really pleased to announce that the governor and his wife has given the food bank $100,000, and Our Lady of the Lake Hospital has matched that,” Van Burkleo said.
Van Burkleo says you can help too – and while the thought of a food donation is certainly appreciated, leave the food at home and simply donate cash.
“If you gave that same amount of money that you bought that jar of peanut butter for, food banks can make that strict further, because of their wholesale prices and connections and those kinds of things,” Van Burkleo noted.
Van Burkleo says it’s important to note that food banks were never intended to replace federal programs like SNAP during government shutdowns, and that the federal government needs to take the lead in handling this.
