Federal cuts, government layoffs leave DC nonprofit with dwindling food supply

Virginia鈥檚 Prince William Co. launches food pantries in 10 schools to help feed kids over the weekends

The shelves at the 聽food pantry in Northwest D.C. are stacked with canned vegetables and cereal boxes.

But several of aisles have shelves with nothing on them.

The nonprofit鈥檚 normal inventory is 80% of shelves fully stocked. But recently, due in part to cuts to federal programs, the stock has been as low as 30% of capacity, and is currently at about 50%, President and CEO Ralph Boyd said.

The organization, which offers food, clothes, housing, health care, job training and drug treatment, has been around for almost six decades. They鈥檒l always figure out a way to make sure people are fed, Boyd said, but now they鈥檙e seeking the community鈥檚 help.

鈥淚f America is really going to be great in the 21st century, it can鈥檛 have hungry people among it who it could choose to feed and could feed if it wanted to,鈥� Boyd told 海角精品黑料. 鈥�(It) can鈥檛 be great with hungry people you can help and don鈥檛.鈥�

The 50% pantry capacity, Boyd said, 鈥渋s not enough to sustain us at the current demand level, but we鈥檒l figure out how to do it.鈥�

Cuts to USAID have hurt the national and international food supplies, Boyd said, and cuts to USDA supplies have also presented challenges. The nonprofit has several sources of supplies, including regional food banks. The supply at those has been cut, Boyd said, so there鈥檚 less to distribute.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why anybody thinks it鈥檚 a good idea to cut food supplies to Americans who need it,鈥� Boyd said.

Boyd said he鈥檚 expecting a shift in demand, similar to what the nonprofit experienced during the pandemic. People who once donated to the food pantry will likely start using it.

鈥淚t isn’t just the losses to the families, themselves, of federal workers who have lost their jobs, a lot of those federal workers are a stable part of our donor base,鈥� Boyd said. 鈥淪o not only do they have higher need, but their capacity to help others is diminished.鈥�

The food pantry is open twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, and a large pile of new Amazon packages is the result of 鈥減eople responding to our appeal鈥� over the last week, Boyd said.

But once the school year starts next month, Boyd is expecting more families to seek morning meals at the nonprofit鈥檚 dining center before the school day starts. He鈥檚 also expecting families to rely on their takeout lunch service so kids have food when they get home.

鈥淲hen folks are feeling good about cutting federal workers, understand they’re not only hurting those families, but those federal workers are very involved,鈥� Boyd said. 鈥淭he charitable organizations that they support are all nervous.鈥�

Food donations can be dropped off on site at 71 O Street Northwest. Boyd emphasized the need for non-perishables that can be collected through family, school or community food drives.

鈥淧eople are stepping up,鈥� Boyd said, explaining others shouldn鈥檛 rethink donating because that鈥檚 the case. 鈥淲e can manage shortfalls in the moment, but it鈥檚 not sustainable long term.”