SPOKANE, Wash. — The Salvation Army of Spokane’s food pantry is a lifeline for hundreds of families, providing food for nearly 200 households every day. But with demand steadily increasing, some worry proposed state budget cuts could deepen the strain on their shelves.
Captain David Cain of the Salvation Army says he’s watched the need for food assistance grow in Spokane — a trend that has sometimes left the pantry’s shelves bare.
Currently, about 80% of the pantry’s food supply comes from state and federal programs, with the remaining 20% coming from salvaged food and grocery rescue programs. Proposed cuts could threaten that supply.
The potential funding reduction stems from a proposal by Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, aimed at addressing the state’s historic budget shortfall.
During the pandemic, Washington received a surge of one-time federal funding to support several programs — including food banks. Those funds have since dried up, and the state has been using general fund dollars to fill the gap.
In a news release, Ferguson recommended capping the state’s general fund investment at $82 million for the next biennium.
While that amount exceeds pre-pandemic levels, it falls short of the $128 million in one-time federal funding injected into the program during the 2021-23 biennium.
For food banks like the Salvation Army’s, that could mean even tougher times ahead. Cain says the cuts would force the organization to get creative and lean on community support even more.
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