CCUSA applauds USDA’s billion-dollar investment to help food insecure

Food and Nutrition

June 7, 2021

Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) applauds USDA’s $1 billion investment to purchase healthy food for food-insecure Americans and build food bank capacity. This funding will be made available to help support the expansion of food distribution programs across every state and territory and potentially increase local agency storage and refrigeration capacity and address the growing need for food distribution in rural areas.

Last year, 13 million individuals and families turned to Catholic Charities agencies for assistance, the majority of which was for food and nutrition programs and services. Catholic Charities agencies are on the frontlines in their communities, operating 750 food pantries across the country, serving individuals and families through food distribution and grab-n-go drive-thru sites, and providing prepared meals for seniors.

Catholic Charities agencies look forward to working within their community to ensure that emergency distributions reach those most in need.

This investment is part of the USDA’s innovative ‘Build Back Better’ initiative which serves as a bridge from pandemic assistance to food system transformation.