The Anne Arundel County Food Bank is bracing for the expected effects of U.S. Department of Agriculture funding cuts by reducing its own expenses while trying to maintain quality.

Federal funding cuts and freezes to the USDA haven’t caught up to Anne Arundel County Food Bank yet. But the nonprofit’s CEO, Leah Paley, expects to lose about $250,000 worth of food in fiscal 2025.

“Given the financial climate, it certainly is challenging,” Paley said. “We’re more so getting creative on how we can cut costs without cutting quality.”

One such measure is the possible elimination of ground beef distribution to maintain the amount of ground turkey and chicken — cheaper forms of protein — being donated.

Anne Arundel County Food Bank, which received $1.5 million in county funds in fiscal 2025, has 20 full-time employees and one part-time employee who assist 48,000 people per month, according to Sarah Reilly, director of development and external relations.

More than 1,000 volunteers assist the organization annually.

Under the Trump administration, the USDA announced it is cutting the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in half, cuts that total $500 million. The agency also canceled shipments through the end of the year.

TEFAP accounts for about 14% of the total food Anne Arundel County Food Bank distributes yearly.

“The entire program was not eliminated, which is good news,” Paley said. “But this additional funding that was approved during the Biden administration to procure food that was primarily fresh produce, lean proteins, dairy — things that are typically more expensive and highly desirable — that funding has gone away.”

Paley said the TEFAP removal is immediate and takes effect next month. She anticipates losing between $230,000 and $240,000 worth of food in fiscal year 2026.

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which supports food banks and other feeding organizations, has also been cut by USDA for fiscal 2025.

This cut will result in a loss of $12,000 worth of food at Anne Arundel County Food Bank, Paley estimates.

The cuts come as President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire Elon Musk, execute sweeping cuts of government programs, federal jobs and other initiatives in recent months.

Reilly said she has noticed an increased hesitation from donors. “It’s particularly on the business side where there’s just so much uncertainty about tariffs and what’s going on,” Reilly said. “The commitment for a sponsorship might be a little less and we’re seeing hesitation because they just don’t know what the impact will be on their bottom line.”

The food bank is trying to fill the gap with donated shelf-stable items rather than using purchased or federally donated items they might have normally received. Reilly said a staff that was already mindful stewards of their resources has become increasingly economical as they prepare for future uncertainty.

“We are being very careful in our thinking about what we’re doing with the resources that we have and how we can have the strongest impact on the neighbors who we serve,” Reilly said.

To add to Paley’s stress, there’s concern about the food bank’s county funding, too. County Executive Steuart Pittman is set to introduce his budget this week, in what he’s called a “Tight budget year.”

The Anne Arundel County Food Bank requested $1.5 million in this year’s budget.

“We’re basically asking for the status quo,” Paley said. “We recognize that, honestly, the need is higher. But we know the county has a lot of difficult decisions to make in terms of where to direct funding. We’re committed to filling that gap through other revenue.”

The food bank’s annual Feeding Hope fundraiser is scheduled for June 12 at the Naval Academy’s Fluegel Alumni Center. The organization’s goal is to raise $115,000.

“We have been doing such a tremendous job trying to diversify our revenue sources,” Paley said. “That way, the food we buy as well as the donated food we distribute, is coming from a lot of different sources.”

Visit aafoodbank.org for more information, to seek assistance, or to volunteer.

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