A new Federal spending bill is coming under fire for eliminating a program specifically aimed at helping schools and organizations feed kids.
The move has officials scrambling suddenly, to consider what other options may be available to put food on the table.
Gary Sinderson has our story.
To say Mel Curtis, is stunned is an understatement. He heads the Centre County YMCA’s Anti-Hunger Program which has grown steadily in providing basic food items to families in need in Centre and Clearfield Counties.
When the pandemic began A federal program created covid nutrition waivers nationwide to help schools, and organizations, like the y feed children. Now that program looks to be no longer be available at the end of the school year
“So what happens now with these waivers stopped were not going to be there, where we were last year with the these handouts to provide kids meals. thats a tough pill to swallow. its because we wont be reimbursed for the meals”
Who will be eligible for food assistance will be dependent on previous federal guidelines, but many of those guidelines don’t reflect the impact of the pandemic, plus now inflation, and other factors
“Some of these families are just above the Federal assistance guidelines and wont qualify for food. this is going to hurt thousands of kids in Central Pennsylvania”
The cost of the waiver program is $11 Billion dollars. Some in Congress are suggesting unspent funding from previous covid assistance programs could be used to extend the program
