“I just have to say, we’re really, really concerned,” Natalie Jayroe, president & CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank, told WWL’s Newell Normand.
She was referring to Gov. Jeff Landry’s decision to decline federal assistance for a summer program that would benefit low income students by providing free meals.
“Summer EBT is a pandemic-era-related program that costs $7 million. The pandemic is over. Louisiana already administers robust social safety net programs including SNAP, TANF, as well as the Child Nutrition Programs – including the USDA Summer Food Service Program, the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Seamless Summer Option, and WIC,” said Landry spokesperson Kate Kelly said in a statement published by brproud. “This year, the Summer Food Service Program will offer meals-to-go. Under these numerous programs, every child will be able to receive the meals they need throughout the summer.”
Jayroe said that her food bank was not consulted when the decision was made.
“We were sending letters and having our advocate sending letters to ask please, please, please for the governor to accept this,” she said. “This is $71 million the state is losing.”
This comes at a time when inflation is affecting families in need and food costs are at a 30-year high, per The Wall Street Journal. Families in the area served by Second Harvest Food Bank are struggling, Jayroe said.
“I don’t know what is gained,” she said of the decision, adding that money from the program also helps the local economy since it is spent at area grocery stores. In fact, the money will still be going to a U.S. community, just not one in Louisiana.
Even Normand, a Republican, said he couldn’t understand the decision.
“It’s just others are going to take advantage of it to the detriment of folks here,” he said.
Listen to their full conversation here to learn more.
