Indiana food pantries lose federal grant

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Some of southwestern Indiana’s food banks are facing tough times following the loss of a federal grant many of the pantries had relied on.

The Evansville Courier & Press reports that Vanderburgh County did not meet stricter rules for the National Emergency Food and Shelter Program Board, which had its own funding cut.

The grant’s loss has dried up funding for the Evansville Emergency Food Pantry System months ahead of its usual fall crunchtime.

Grant Hartman oversees a consortium of seven Evansville-area food pantries he says typically spend about $8,500 a month to order food for the pantries. But now it has only about $3,000 on hand for such purchases.

He says even funding the consortium managed to cobble together from a variety of sources is running short.