Yolo County families will suffer from federal cuts, says food bank
Yolo Food Bank is bracing for more than $2 million in financial losses following federal cuts to food assistance programs and the expiration of emergency pandemic aid.
Last month, President Donald Trump’s administration announced it was canceling hundreds of millions of dollars in government funding to help food banks. The cuts total more than $750,000 for the Yolo Food Bank.
The organization’s $1.3 million in American Rescue Plan funds will also expire this year. The losses account for nearly 40% of the food bank’s $5.1 million annual budget, according to a Friday news release.
“If resources continue to decline, we may have no choice but to reduce the amount of food families receive at our public food distributions,” said Karen Baker, executive director of Yolo Food Bank, in the news release.
The organization warned that such federal cuts threaten the organization’s ability to feed low-income families in the area. Trump’s administration has considered future cuts, including to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program that provides monthly food benefits to low-income individuals and families.
Yolo County had the highest poverty rate in the state, according to a 2021 study from the Public Policy Institute of California. Yolo Food Bank released a study last year that found that nearly one in three households in the county are food insecure.
“Yolo County is facing a rising need for food and fewer resources to service those in need throughout our community, leaving our most vulnerable people in worse circumstances,” said Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, in the news release.
The organization hopes to raise at least $150,000 during its Big Day of Giving, which runs through May 1. Baker said, in her statement, that the food bank can “leverage donations” and $32 helps feed a household for a month.
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 10:41 AM.
