Our Statement on USDA Elimination of Vital Hunger Data

As food insecurity continues to rise across North Carolina, hunger relief leaders from across North Carolina will gather at the General Assembly on Tuesday, May 12, to urge lawmakers to restore critical funding that helps feed families and strengthen the state’s emergency food system. 

The visits come at a time when food banks are experiencing unprecedented demand as families struggle with the rising cost of food, housing, and fuel. More than 1.6 million North Carolinians now face challenges keeping food on the table, and many food banks across the state report a 30% or greater increase in need compared to last year. In several North Carolina communities — particularly those still recovering from Hurricane Helene — local pantries and meal sites have set new records for the number of individuals seeking assistance in a single month. 

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

According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 in 7 North Carolinians —  including 1 in 5 children —  live in a food-insecure household. The state’s association of hunger relief organizations, Feeding the Carolinas, anticipates that hunger will increase further in the coming months due to economic pressures and significant federal funding and policy changes. 

Recent and ongoing challenges have compounded the issue. Last fall, a federal government shutdown created hardship and uncertainty for approximately 200,000 federal employees, active-duty military members, and contractors in North Carolina—many of them, as other working North Carolinians often are, were just one missed paycheck away from needing food assistance. 

At the same time, anticipated changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), resulting from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), are expected to reduce access for many households. Currently, SNAP helps 1.4 million North Carolinians put food on the table each month, with 43% of households including children. 

Even with strong charitable efforts, food banks cannot replace the scale of federal nutrition programs. For every one meal provided by food banks, SNAP provides nine. As SNAP access decreases, more families will turn to already-strained food banks and local pantries for support. 

Despite these growing challenges, state funding that has historically supported North Carolina food banks’ purchases of fresh food from local farmers has not yet been renewed due to the ongoing budget impasse. 

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