With the American economy in the midst of recovery as the economic stimulus package continues to take effect, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is giving the nation’s food banks a $100 million boost as well to help address an increase in demand, according to the New York Times.
The additional funding, which comes in addition to the approximately $250 million in the food bank program receives from the government each year, comes after reports showing a rise in the program’s usage relating to higher unemployment rates. A survey released on July 22 by Feeding America reported that requests for "emergency food assistance" for low income Americans were 30 percent higher than they had been the year prior.
According to the USDA, as reported by the Times, the additional USDA funding that has been utilized so far has contributed to the purchase of $15.8 million worth of poultry, $15.5 million worth of canned fruit, $13.3 million worth of peanut products, $25.2 million worth of cheese and $29.4 million worth of pork.
The additional food comes at the perfect time for some food banks. Clyde W. Fitzgerald Jr., the executive director of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, told the Times that he expects his bank to get 5.2 million pounds of food from the government, up from the 2.9million pounds he originally expected. He added that the continued rise in job losses in his region had upped the bank’s demand for food from 9 million pounds last year to 13 million in 2009.
In addition to the increase in funding to food banks. The USDA also recently announced plans to increase the milk prices received by dairy producers in order to increase dairy farmers’ revenue by $243 million. The increase will also result in the government purchase of an additional 150 million pounds of non-fat dry milk as well as an additional 75 million pounds of cheese. 
When the government gives away money for food, it offsets the ability of companies engaged in selling food for living. It helps put these companies out of business or at the very least less profitable. In addition this effort uses taxpayer’s money. Yes, some needy will appreciate the food, although they become dependent on the government for one of the basic needs in life. Where is the good here? Government should not make people reliant on them while at the same time destroying the supply and demand system that makes our country great.
Hi Jackie:
You make an excellent point, and I agree with you 100% that competition and the system of supply and demand are the engines of our economy. But your argument that food banks are hurting for-profit food companies hinges on the notion that people receiving food aid and going to food banks WANT to be there. I assure you, the majority do not. With our economy in a tailspin, millions have been thrown out of work, and are having a lot of trouble finding work. If these people lining up for food didn’t have to be there, they wouldn’t! Americans are a proud people, and want nothing more than be able to feed their own families. But when money is running out, and your kids are hungry, food banks provide an urgently needed safety net. The food would simply go to waste otherwise.
Jackie, on what research have you based your claim “Yes, some needy will appreciate the food, although they become dependent on the government for one of the basic needs in life.” Are you qualified to make such statements or do you do so because you have grown up with the comfort and security of being provided for? Perhaps you are so educated you could solve the problems 10% of Americans are facing. My father is a Lithuanian immigrant who fled the Russians in 1952. He couldn’t speak any English and was just a boy. The government (that you seem to know more than) helped him and the rest of his family to settle here and get on their feet. He in turn has gotten his Masters Degree, served in the military and helped this country by being a productive citizen. Sometimes people need a hand (not a hand-out as you seem to think). When given a chance people who are down can come up and benefit all of the people in the U.S. Hopefully you and your family will not know the struggles of unemployment, if you do you’ll be glad that our elected officials and masses of caring Americans are willing to help those in need.
We would like to invite your readers to visit
http://www.AmpleHarvest.org
to learn about a nationwide campaign to diminish hunger in America by enabling backyard gardeners to share their crops with neighborhood food pantries.
Your readers can help both by encouraging local food pantries to register as well as encouraging gardeners to use the site to help find local food pantries (see /www.ampleharvest.org/InformingTheGardener.php).
Please contact info@AmpleHarvest.org for additional information.