High Plains Food Bank Faces Loss of Additional USDA Food Supply Amid Record Demand
Press Conference Tomorrow Announces Impact and Plans to Fill the Gap

AMARILLO, Texas – April 21, 2025 – High Plains Food Bank (HPFB) will hold a press conference tomorrow, Tuesday, April 22 at 10 a.m. in the warehouse, located at 815 S Ross to address the impact of recent cancellations of additional USDA food. Executive Director Zack Wilson will provide a statement and be available to answer questions.

HPFB continues to serve neighbors in need across the Texas Panhandle through a combination of food channels, including donated food, USDA food, and purchased food. These channels are critical to helping feed the nearly 1 in 6 individuals in the region facing food insecurity.

HPFB receives a portion of its food inventory through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a federally funded USDA program that provides emergency food assistance using 100% American-grown products. TEFAP accounts for nearly 23% of HPFB’s total food supply annually, offering shelf-stable, high-protein, and fresh food options that support healthier lifestyles.

In 2024, USDA was authorized to make $500 million in additional food purchases nationwide to support hunger relief. However, earlier this year, the USDA announced the cancellation of those additional food purchases for 2025. Importantly, the TEFAP program itself was not cut or discontinued — HPFB will continue to receive its regular TEFAP allocation. However, the cancellation of these one-time supplemental purchases translates to a loss of 13 truckloads of food that HPFB was scheduled to receive throughout 2025.

“Nearly 13,000 households are served each month in the Texas Panhandle. More than 14,000 households were served in several months last year,” said Zack Wilson, Executive Director of High Plains Food Bank. “This is higher than what we saw during the 2007–2009 recession and the 2020 pandemic.”

To bridge the gap in supply caused by this cancellation and continue meeting record-breaking demand, HPFB has launched a $250,000 fundraising campaign. These funds will help support food purchases through the summer and beyond.

“The Texas Panhandle always rises to the challenge of helping our neighbors. HPFB will continue strengthening all its food channels — donated food, USDA food, and purchased food — to meet this growing need,” Wilson said. “With community support, we will continue our mission to alleviate hunger across the Texas

Panhandle.”

About High Plains Food Bank

Since 1982, High Plains Food Bank has strived to alleviate hunger in the Texas Panhandle. Currently, 1 in 6 neighbors, including 1 in 5 kids, experiences food insecurity. HPFB and 135+ partner food pantries and meal programs provide access to healthy food, education, and other resources across 29 counties to help neighbors establish food security, improve their health, and thrive. In 2024, HPFB distributed 8.4 million pounds of food through the network.

In addition to providing increased vitality, food banking decreases waste by distributing food that would otherwise go uneaten to people who need it.

To donate and support local hunger relief efforts, visit: www.hpfb.org/donate.

*High Plains Food Bank is an equal opportunity provider.

Zivorad Filipovic | Director of Marketing and Communications

806.374.8562 main

806.350.1427 direct

806.477.0168 mobile

1910 SE 8^th Ave., Amarillo, TX 79102