Federal Cuts, Rising Need – How We’re Responding

Federal Cuts, Rising Need – How We’re Responding Together

At Lowcountry Food Bank (LCFB), our mission has always been clear: to ensure our neighbors facing hunger have access to nutritious food. But today, that mission is under increasing pressure. Federal budget cuts to key programs—such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement program, (LFPA), Medicaid, and SNAP Education (SNAP Ed)—are creating a wave of challenges across South Carolina. These cuts not only threaten food security but also the healthcare and livelihoods of the communities we serve.

Recent projections show that more than 500,000 South Carolinians are at risk of losing SNAP benefits due to cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill. According to the Urban Institute, 299,000 families statewide could lose all or part of their SNAP support, including 43,000 working families and 48,000 families with children. If SNAP were cut by just 10%, LCFB would need to provide 5 million more meals annually—growing from 34 million to 39 million meals. That scale of response is not feasible for any food bank alone.

SNAP isn’t just a food program—it’s economic infrastructure. It generates more than $1.50 in local economic activity for every dollar spent and supports grocers, farmers, and jobs across the Lowcountry. But SNAP only works when it’s funded. For every meal LCFB provides, SNAP delivers nine. Emergency food programs cannot fill the gap alone.

“Last Thursday afternoon, I had three new families that had never come in before. One of those families had five children. When I talk with new families, I always explain more about how we operate our pantry. One young woman, with two children, told me that she had gotten a job where she made $12 an hour. The SNAP Program cut benefits in half because she was making  “too much.”  She felt so good working, but she was thinking she needed to quit her job to be able to feed her family.  We need to help build self-esteem of those who want to better their family’s situation.”  — A food pantry volunteer

We are also seeing the effects of cuts to other critical programs:

• SNAP-Ed, which LCFB has partnered with for over 10 years, is set to lose all federal funding after September 2025. These funds helped promote healthy eating, physical activity, and chronic disease prevention.
• Medicaid cuts could impact over 219,000 South Carolinians, affecting children, families, rural communities, and people with disabilities—adding financial stress and reducing access to essential care.
• LFPA cuts remove $470 million nationally, hurting our local farmers and reducing the availability of fresh, locally grown food.

Despite these challenges, there is also encouraging news. On August 2, the USDA announced $230 million in Section 32 food purchases for TEFAP, bringing the total to $924 million this year—close to the $1 billion federal authority. These purchases represent a vital source of nutritious food for food banks nationwide, and we are grateful to USDA for this support.

Still, LCFB has seen a 43% reduction in USDA food this year, translating to over 2 million fewer meals—a number that may reach 4 million by year-end. TEFAP accounts for 26% of our food supply—more than double the amount we raise through private donations each year. Cuts like these deeply impact our ability to serve.

That’s why your support matters more than ever. And we are not waiting to act.

Planning for the Future

We are:

• Reassessing our programs to run more efficiently, with greater impact and less federal red tape.
• Exploring new ways to manage senior food boxes, summer meals, and nutrition education.
• Regularly updating risk assessments to anticipate and respond to shifts in federal policy.
• Identifying innovative funding opportunities to strengthen our long-term sustainability.
• Continuing to advocate for the needs of children, seniors, veterans, and families across our 10-county service area.
• Supporting farmers and local food systems through policy efforts like the Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act.

With rising food prices (up 23.6% since 2020), stagnant wages, and fewer job opportunities, our neighbors need us more than ever. And we need you.

Your partnership ensures that we can adapt, innovate, and continue to provide nourishment, dignity, and hope. Thank you for standing with us—and with those we serve—during this time of critical need.