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• In Response to Federal Program Cut, Food for People Receives $50K Pledge to Match Donations Made Through June 6

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Press release from Food For People:

A fundraising challenge launched by two friends of Food for People in response to federal funding cuts has raised more than double the original goal.

Supporters from all over Humboldt County and as far away as Plano, Texas and Seattle, Washington gave a combined $128,500 to the Farmers Fund Challenge including a last-minute contribution of $55,000 from one donor! Combined with the matching funds Food for People has $182,000 to purchase produce from local farmers.

Food for People supporters Melanie Williams and Barbara Goldberg were moved to create the $50,000 challenge after hearing local news about the elimination of the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) cooperative agreement. The federal program provided the food bank about $360,000 per year over the last three years to buy locally grown food from small farmers and other producers.

“The unexpected cut to LFPA was a huge blow for us, and it is harmful for the entire farming community too,” says Carly Robbins, Food for People’s Executive Director. “Many local farms had already planned their growing season around the funds we were contracted to spend, some already have crops in the ground.” Robbins says the overwhelming response from the community will allow Food for People to keep local produce in its pantries and child and senior nutrition programs, although less than under the USDA program.

Last year, the food bank purchased nearly 90,000 pounds of local produce through the LFPA program that equated to nearly $300,000 in local spending. The Locally Delicious Farmers Fund was created in 2010 by a group called The Heirloom Tomatoes. The fund supports purchasing from local farms and producers and giving people who use Food for People’s programs access to more local foods. Today, the fund is managed by Food for People, specifically for the purchase of locally grown and produced foods.

More information about where to find a food pantry in your area and other food distributions or how to support Food for People’s programs as a financial supporter, business sponsor, volunteer or advocate can be found at foodforpeople.org.

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Food for People, the food bank for Humboldt County, distributed 2.4 million pounds of food last year, and its services reach more than 21,000 people monthly. Food for People’s 18 programs include a countywide network of emergency food pantries, food distribution programs for children, seniors and homebound individuals, nutrition education and outreach activities, local food recovery, gleaning and disaster relief, as well as many partnerships throughout the community. For more information, go to www.foodforpeople.org.