Warner & Kaine Announce Over $600,000 in Federal Funding for Food Banks in Northern, Central, and Southwest Virginia

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $627,837 in federal funding for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to administer a pilot project through Feed More, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, and Feeding Southwest Virginia. This funding will help the food banks expand their operations and food delivery in underserved areas.

“Virginians shouldn’t have to worry about where they’re going to find their next meal,” said Senators Warner and Kaine. “We’re glad this federal funding will be used to help food banks across Virginia expand their operations and continue providing nutritious food to underserved communities.”

The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through The Emergency Food Assistance Program's (TEFAP) Reach and Resiliency Grants and will be used to reach remote, rural, and low-income areas.

During the pandemic, Warner and Kaine successfully called for the swift approval of Virginia’s request to operate a Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program to ensure children have access to healthy food while at home. They also successfully pushed USDA to make food distribution policies more flexible for Virginia’s families. In March 2022, Warner and Kaine sent a letter urging USDA to issue guidance to better address the growing food insecurity crisis among college students. Warner and Kaine also cosponsored the Support Kids Not Red Tape Act, legislation that would extend additional flexibility so that schools and summer meal sites can stay open and continue to provide free, healthy meals for children.

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