Federal funding cancellation hitting FeedMore WNY hard

FeedMore Western New York Collin Bishop on the $3.5 Million loss in food

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - FeedMore WNY is facing a multi-million dollar loss after the Commodity Credit Corporation program, a federal funding program for FeedMore was terminated on Wednesday.

The United States Department of Agriculture said $500 Million worth of food purchases for the Emergency Food Association funded by the CCC was permanently canceled. Collin Bishop with FeedMore of Western New York said on WBEN that they will lose $3.5 Million worth of food due to the cancellations.

“Those kind of bonus funds have allowed us to purchase really high quality proteins, chicken, turkey, ham, cheeses, eggs, a whole bunch of things that are really staples, important things in everyone's life.” Bishop said on “A New Morning” with Susan Rose and Brian Mazurowski. “Those funds are what are now gone.”

In 2024 FeedMore Western New York distributed 15.8 Million pounds of food across Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus County. With the cancellations, Bishop said they are working with government partners and even the public to keep up with the losses they have received.

“A large portion of the food that we distribute every year comes from public donations.” Bishop said. “We know that obviously the public isn't going to be able to donate the types of product that we're losing with the loss of the CCC funding, but it might be able to offset it in other ways.”

Bishop said there are many ways to help FeedMore Western New York by going to their website, or even start their own food drive and donate it to their warehouse.