Our Statement on USDA Elimination of Vital Hunger Data

Our friends at Cisco are meeting the hunger crisis head-on during the government shutdown and beyond. With their generous support, thousands of kids and teens in Moore County can access the food they need to thrive. We send our sincere thanks to Cisco for providing more than 85,000 meals for local families! Cisco’s partnership means more children will have the fuel they need to stay alert and focused in school. 

On November 6, our Raleigh Branch welcomed 150 Cisco volunteers to assemble weekend meal kits for Moore County children who receive free and reduced lunch. Cisco’s support for our Backpack Pals program helps us build a world where no child is hungry. 

Our partnership with Cisco is needed more than ever as 1.4 million kids, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities wait for the release of full SNAP benefits in North Carolina. Partners like Cisco show up for our communities and make food access possible.  

Politicians in Washington voted to slash the federal safety nets that help millions of people in North Carolina afford food and medicine. They know their decisions will worsen our hunger crisis, and now they're attempting to hide the evidence by eliminating impact data that has been available to the public for decades.

Administrative changes at the USDA can't erase the reality our communities face every day: the price of groceries remains out of reach for far too many families — and more people are seeking food assistance today than any point in the past 20 years.

Our hunger relief network relies on this data to target resources where they're needed most, especially in rural communities where services are more difficult to access. The General Assembly and state agencies need reliable data to make smart investments in the most effective programs. This information takes even greater importance when tight budgets require tough decisions — and there are no shortage of difficult fiscal discussions underway right now.

We need our Members of Congress to understand the impact this irresponsible decision will have on  kids, seniors, and people with disabilities across North Carolina. It's incredibly important that we all make our voices heard and urge elected leaders to restore vital hunger data.

– Jason Kanawati Stephany, Food Bank Vice President

During Cisco’s Volunteer takeover, employees showed their commitment to ending hunger. Engineers at Cisco made improvements to the assembly line to fill bags faster. Mike Estes, Core Services Specialist, even used our pallet jack to move hundreds of meal kits so more could be filled. Through Cisco’s dedication, just one ‘volunteer takeover’ can fuel more meals than a week of smaller shifts.   

Politicians in Washington voted to slash the federal safety nets that help millions of people in North Carolina afford food and medicine. They know their decisions will worsen our hunger crisis, and now they're attempting to hide the evidence by eliminating impact data that has been available to the public for decades.

Administrative changes at the USDA can't erase the reality our communities face every day: the price of groceries remains out of reach for far too many families — and more people are seeking food assistance today than any point in the past 20 years.

Our hunger relief network relies on this data to target resources where they're needed most, especially in rural communities where services are more difficult to access. The General Assembly and state agencies need reliable data to make smart investments in the most effective programs. This information takes even greater importance when tight budgets require tough decisions — and there are no shortage of difficult fiscal discussions underway right now.

We need our Members of Congress to understand the impact this irresponsible decision will have on  kids, seniors, and people with disabilities across North Carolina. It's incredibly important that we all make our voices heard and urge elected leaders to restore vital hunger data.

– Jason Kanawati Stephany, Food Bank Vice President

Cisco is a key partner in the fight to end hunger. Cisco has contributed $4.8 million to our hunger relief efforts through corporate and employee giving. By expanding our capacity with food access and technology, Cisco empowers the Food Bank to serve our neighbors during the greatest hunger crisis in a generation. We are truly grateful to Cisco for helping us meet the needs of the moment. 

Politicians in Washington voted to slash the federal safety nets that help millions of people in North Carolina afford food and medicine. They know their decisions will worsen our hunger crisis, and now they're attempting to hide the evidence by eliminating impact data that has been available to the public for decades.

Administrative changes at the USDA can't erase the reality our communities face every day: the price of groceries remains out of reach for far too many families — and more people are seeking food assistance today than any point in the past 20 years.

Our hunger relief network relies on this data to target resources where they're needed most, especially in rural communities where services are more difficult to access. The General Assembly and state agencies need reliable data to make smart investments in the most effective programs. This information takes even greater importance when tight budgets require tough decisions — and there are no shortage of difficult fiscal discussions underway right now.

We need our Members of Congress to understand the impact this irresponsible decision will have on  kids, seniors, and people with disabilities across North Carolina. It's incredibly important that we all make our voices heard and urge elected leaders to restore vital hunger data.

– Jason Kanawati Stephany, Food Bank Vice President