The Lowcountry Food Bank Statement on the 2018 Farm Bill

Charleston, SC – December 19, 2018 – This week, the President signed into law H.R. 2, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. Also known as the 2018 Farm Bill, the legislation funds critical programs nationwide that address hunger and food production. The Lowcountry Food Bank commends Congress for writing a bipartisan bill that protects and strengthens important nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). These programs are critical resources for our community members who are food insecure and will help our food bank put more meals on the table for families in need next year.

“The Farm Bill provides certainty for our nation’s growers and producers that programs they rely on to provide food assistance or crop support in times of need will continue to serve as a resource to our community,” said Kathryn Douglas, Lowcountry Food Bank Chief Development Officer. “Most importantly, the bill protects and preserves nutrition programs like TEFAP and SNAP. For the millions of children, seniors, veterans and families who need food assistance, this delivers welcome peace of mind.”

In addition to protecting SNAP, the legislation increases funding for critical programs like TEFAP, which helps the Lowcountry Food Bank provide healthy food to support people facing hunger. This will help provide a steady source of nutritious meals to the families and individuals in our community who are food insecure. Map the Meal Gap data can be found here by state: http://map.feedingamerica.org/

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About the Lowcountry Food Bank: Feed. Advocate. Empower.
The Lowcountry Food Bank serves the 10 coastal counties of South Carolina and distributed more than 28 million pounds of food in 2017. The Lowcountry Food Bank helps fight hunger by distributing food to nearly 300 partner agencies including soup kitchens, homeless shelters and emergency food pantries. The Lowcountry Food Bank advocates on behalf of those who experience hunger and helps empower people to make healthy and nutritious food choices. For more information go to http://www.lowcountryfoodbank.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.