Announced Federal Spending Cuts will Affect AIO
Since the first wave of the Federal Government’s freezing and cutting of programs, loans, and spending several weeks ago, many of you have asked about the impact on AIO. At that time, we had reported that AIO doesn’t receive any direct payments from the US Government and that AIO doesn’t have any loans that are backed by the US Government.
While uneasy about the future, we were safe for a short while.
But last week we learned that two key US Government programs,
that are important to AIO are now impacting us:
A US Dept of Agriculture program known as LFPA (Local Food Purchase Assistance), established during the pandemic to support small farms and incentivize them to provide free food to non-profit organizations like AIO was eliminated. In our case, this means that fresh produce coming from Erickson Fields at no cost to AIO, will now stop.
Even more impactful is the “pause” in funding of a long-time program that provides about 100,000 pounds of free food annually to AIO. The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) has been reduced and put on hold until at least June.
If both of these programs are ultimately eliminated, AIO will lose nearly 15% of our food currently provided to us for free.
As you can imagine this will be hard or impossible to replace by purchase.
While waiting to clarify the complete impact to AIO and see if there will be a quick resolution (think NIH funding or UMaine funding that was temporarily cut and then restored) we are anticipating and planning that we’ll need to place various limits on food access. These are changes we don’t want to make, but if the cuts to the programs that mean so much to our community are finalized, we will need to react to prevent running out of food.
What can you do?
Please consider writing your member of Congress as soon as possible.
A quick outreach by a large group of constituents will make an impact.
Links to the candidates are below along with links to news reports about these impacts.
We have also drafted a short letter (below) that you can feel free to use.
Thank you for your help!
Links to Writing your Congressional Representatives:
Links to Calling your Congressional Representatives
Senator Collins – 202-224-2523
Senator King – 207-622-8292
Congresswoman Pingree – 207-774-5019
Congressman Golden – 202-225-6308
Links to News Coverage
Sample Letter:
Dear ____(put the name of the member of your Congress Representative here)____
I am a constituent living in ________. I receive support from Area Interfaith Outreach (AIO) based in Rockland. The food I receive from AIO is critical for me and my household and I will suffer if I don’t receive it. I am concerned to learn that two important USDA programs have been cut (LFPA25 extension) or put on hold (TEFAP). These programs provide as much as 15% of the food AIO distributes to families, including mine.
These cuts will directly impact me and my family. I am asking that you stand up for me and many others in this community. Please reach out to Secretary Rollins, your (___House or Senate____) leaders, and the Trump Administration, and request that these funds and programs be reinstated.
Thank you for your service and I hope to hear positive news soon.
Sincerely, _________