Tennessee’s food banks lost millions of dollars in federal funding last year because state officials missed two deadlines to submit a plan to distribute the money.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded Tennessee $108 million in emergency food assistance in 2021. The money was intended to help food banks and other organizations purchase food for people in need.
But Tennessee officials missed a deadline to submit a plan to the USDA on how the money would be distributed. As a result, the USDA reallocated the money to other states.
The loss of funding has had a significant impact on Tennessee’s food banks. Many food banks have had to reduce their services or close altogether.
The USDA has said that it is working with Tennessee officials to develop a plan to distribute the emergency food assistance funding. But it is unclear when the plan will be finalized.
In the meantime, Tennessee’s food banks are struggling to meet the needs of the people they serve. Many food banks are reporting that they are seeing an increase in demand for food assistance. The loss of federal funding is a major setback for Tennessee’s food banks. It is unclear how the food banks will be able to continue to operate without the funding.
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