At a time when many Southeast Michigan families are turning to food banks for help, federal support is beginning to dwindle.
Earlier this year,
Gleaners Community Food Bank, founded in 1979, learned it would be receiving 1 million fewer pounds of food than expected. The shortfall stems from cuts to USDA programs that had bolstered emergency food providers by purchasing surplus food from American farmers.
Federal cuts, local consequence
The financial impact is steep. Kristin Sokul, senior director of advancement communications for Gleaners, says the organization is facing a gap of around $850,000. If unaddressed, the funding loss could translate to food for 25,000 fewer households over the course of a year.
Nationally, the scope of the change is enormous. "More recently, the USDA cut these programs—over a billion dollars of funding that would have otherwise gone into communities," Marlene Schwartz, director of the
Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, said in an
interview with SciLine. "It makes it harder for places like schools and food banks to purchase food locally."
The loss is tied in part to reductions in
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a USDA pipeline that distributes surplus U.S.-grown food to food banks across the country. Sokul says much of the eliminated TEFAP funding had prioritized purchases from local and regional growers—support that previously benefited both farmers and families facing hunger.
Two models, same mission
Gleaners, which operates a large distribution hub and partners with hundreds of smaller pantries across five counties, uses a centralized food bank model to collect, store, and distribute groceries to those in need.
It is far from the only food provider feeling the pinch.
In Oak Park,
Forgotten Harvest takes a different approach. Originally founded as a food rescue organization, it focuses on reclaiming surplus food from grocery stores, restaurants, and farms. Today, it operates as a hybrid distributor with warehouse storage and its own fleet of trucks, though its food rescue mission remains core to its identity.
"This year alone, we’ve absorbed a cut of about $740,000, which represents roughly 400,000 pounds of food," CEO Adrian Lewis says. "This could be seen as a major crisis for our area."
While Forgotten Harvest and Gleaners rely on a mix of funding streams, including state programs, private donations, and food industry partners, Lewis says the sudden federal pullback puts pressure on emergency food providers to work much harder to meet the same goals.
State farm support offers lifeline
One source of relief still in place is the
Michigan Agricultural Surplus System, or MASS, a state program that helps cover the cost of transporting excess crops.
"That is separate. That’s funding from the state," Lewis says. "And again, thank God for that, because that’s definitely a huge part of what we’re able to do."
Sokul adds that the effects of federal cuts are already showing up in the field. Though Gleaners continues to meet need, the organization has dipped into its reserves to keep food flowing to smaller agencies that might otherwise go without.
"When resources are down, some of our partners, who may not have as large of an operation or may not have the flexibility to fill those gaps, can’t stretch their budgets," Sokul says. "We used some of our own reserves to help those partners purchase food so that their guests can have balanced nutrition."
Nutrition goals at risk
Lean proteins and dairy, two of the more expensive, high-demand food categories, have been hardest to source under tighter budgets. Sokul says Gleaners has worked to keep distribution levels stable, but future cuts could change the mix or quantity of items families receive.
"We may have to shift what is offered to a lower cost item," she says. "Instead of the average of 40 or 45 pounds that you get in a distribution, it may be five pounds lighter."
These shifts also come at a time when food banks have been working to raise the quality, not just the quantity, of food they provide.
"There’s been a very concerted national effort among food banks across the country to try to improve the nutritional quality of the food that they provide," Schwartz says. "The families that rely on the charitable food system often have a higher risk of diet-related illness, like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes."
Broader economic impact
The impact extends beyond pantry shelves. Receiving food assistance isn’t just about nutrition; it also frees up household income for other essential living expenses like rent, utilities, or gasoline to get to work and school.
"These are more than just, 'Do you have enough lettuce in your salad?'" Sokul says. The economic benefits of food assistance, she adds, translate beyond the four walls of a household.
Lewis says Forgotten Harvest is preparing for further turbulence ahead, especially with uncertainty looming around the long-delayed
Farm Bill. The massive federal legislation, typically renewed every five years, controls funding for programs like TEFAP, SNAP, and even Medicaid.
"That’s going to really overwhelm us in a sense if we’re not prepared for it with the funding as well as the food," he says. "But, we're going to stand steadfast on our goal to be able to deliver what we have free of charge."
Call to action
To brace for what’s ahead, both Gleaners and Forgotten Harvest are calling on corporate partners, private donors, and community members to help bridge the gap. Lewis says his organization is ramping up fundraising efforts to keep its services steady.
Despite the challenges, both organizations are doubling down on collaboration. Lewis says that Forgotten Harvest is in regular conversations with other agencies to share information and resources.
"There are no secrets in this space," he says. "We’re going to figure it out. We can’t get through this without stronger collaboration."
For community members looking to help, every donation of food, money, or time makes a difference.
"Hunger can happen at any time to anyone," Lewis says. "This is an opportunity to keep giving our community a hand up during these tough times."
Resilient Neighborhoods is a reporting and engagement series examining how Detroit residents and community development organizations work together to strengthen local neighborhoods. It's made possible with funding from The Kresge Foundation.