Image Credit: Public Domain
Press Release –
Tennesseans facing food insecurity will have improved access to nutritious foods thanks to a grant awarded to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service has awarded a $1 million grant to TDA to improve reach and resiliency of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in the state. TEFAP is a federal program that supplements the diets of low-income Americans by providing them with emergency food at no cost.
“We are committed to participating in work that supplies healthy food to all Tennesseans,” Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “A grant this size will make an enormous impact for Tennessee’s rural areas, benefitting populations who are underserved and the farmers who contribute to the safest, most nutritious food system in the world.”
TDA’s Commodity Distribution Administrator Terry Minton has worked for the past 25 years to make sure Tennesseans of all ages have food through USDA nutrition assistance programs. “We’ll be able to meet even more critical nutrition needs with this grant,” Minton said. “The funding will enable regional Tennessee food banks to tailor strategies to meet the needs of the areas they serve. They’ve been great partners with us for decades and their role is essential in our common goal of getting high-quality food to those who need it.”
With the benefit of this grant, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank and the Mid-South Food Bank will expand mobile pantries. Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee will purchase equipment and support renovations at local distribution sites. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee will increase TEFAP distributions and establish new distribution sites in underserved areas. Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee will conduct a needs assessment to better understand current reach and upgrade coolers and freezers at local distribution sites.
TDA’s mission is to serve all the citizens of Tennessee by providing options for responsible use of our agricultural and forest resources, developing economic opportunities, safeguarding food and fiber, and ensuring equity in the marketplace.
2 Responses
Soylent Green anyone?
With the Federal Govt providing “15 different tax payer funded food programs” to all states who’s food insecure??? The kids eat breakfast, lunch & in some cases dinner at school. They get snacks daily & filled back packs for the weekend. These free meals, snacks and back packs at school require extra personnel to prepare and distribute them. That means labor costs and extra utilities expended by your school system. Then there is the Summer Food Program when school is out, also free meal and in some cases transportation (gas & vehicle maint fee) to the feeding site. Lets not forget the day care food programs. We can’t forget U can also go to the Food Banks if U already receive benefits for something. Also taxpayer funded. So with all this food U have to ask your self “Who’s Really Missing a Meal?” All this provided by unsolicited generosity to US citizens and illegal aliens at your expense!
Nothing is more infuriating as someone pulling out a SNAP card at a register purchasing crab, lobster and filet mignon. I can’t afford Filet Mignon and I work 50 hours a week. Some small grocers key in an item as Deli but it’s really snacks or prepared food thereby passing as OK on the SNAP card. You can even get “cash” on your SNAP card to use for things other than food. I have heard from cashiers that they see customers with over $1000 loaded on their SNAP cards. Perhaps part of the severe obesity in today’s children and adults is caused by access to too much food. It’s hard to see some of these folks drop a SNAP card or show up at a Food Bank and they weight in at over 300 lbs. Consider the child that fell out of the tower ride in Orlando. 9 or 10 yrs old and already over 300 lbs. Food Insecurity??? Where????