BELOIT - The food pantry at Merrill Elementary is getting a boost.
The pantry received a $1,500 contribution from American Transmission Co. last week. The School Pantry program in Beloit is part of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin's effort to offer food security to families through various school districts.
The pantry at Merrill is overseen by Caritas and is the third of its kind in the 16 counties served by Second Harvest, according to Second Harvest CEO Dan Stein.
The two other school pantries are located in Sparta and Adams-Friendship districts.
"Schools are at the center of activity in their neighborhoods," Stein said. "With the clear connection between a child's ability to learn, and having access to enough healthy and nutritious food, it only made sense to put a pantry in a school. We're grateful for (American Transmission Company) for their support of this innovative way to help kids and families facing hunger in Beloit."
The funds will be used to cover the costs of providing healthy and nutritious food for three months to approximately 60 families in Beloit.
In Rock County alone, Second Harvest distributed 2.7 million meals last year. In Beloit, the group provides food to 500 families twice monthly at mobile distribution events.
In Wisconsin, around 700,000 residents receive nutrition assistance benefits through the FoodShare program, formerly known as food stamps. Overall, nearly 75 percent of the United States Food and Drug Administration's budget is allocated to programs like SNAP.
In over 30 years of service, Second Harvest created a network of 225 groups it partners with, and has provided over 14 million meals to residents it serves in the southern part of the state.
Massive federal cuts as part of this year's budget proposal could cut billions over the next 10 years to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and officials warn the move could harm outreach efforts to promote food security and healthy living in Wisconsin.
The budget proposal, which passed in the House Thursday, would require raising state contributions to food assistance programs and adjusting eligibility and work requirements for applicants. The proposal would cut income security spending by $653 billion over 10 years, according to the proposal.
The cuts would cause organizations like Second Harvest to provide double the amount of resources it currently handles, a strain that would take years to accommodate, said Feeding Wisconsin Executive Director David Lee.
Second Harvest's umbrella group, Feeding Wisconsin and the national group Feeding America are working to coordinate lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. to gauge support or opposition to food benefit-related discussions.
Interests on behalf of Feeding Wisconsin are working closely with House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, both of whom have said no changes should be made to the SNAP program, a clear disconnect between the administration, congressional and agency leaders.
Feeding Wisconsin is conducting risk assessments for all state food banks and organizations providing nutrition assistance to draft an informational report to be ready ahead of any congressional vote.
For more information on food assistance programs, visit fightinghunger.info.
