Betsy Huber, president of The National Grange, joins FOX40 to talk about how she is fighting to get that funding back, particularly amid COVID-19.
LISTEN TO HIM IN HIS ENTIRETYYOU CAN GO ON OVER TO FOX 40DOT COM WE'RE STREAMING THISFOR YOU LIVE.
THE NEW YEARUSUALLY MEANS HOPE AND THEPROMISE OF FRESH POSSIBILITIESBUT THOSE HAVE BEEN COUNTINGON FOOD BOXES PROVIDED BY THEUSDA JUST HAD SOME OF THEIRHOPES CRUSHED THROUGH THEFARMERS TO FAMILIES FOOD BOXPROGRAM IT HAS FED THOSE INNEED DURING THE PANDEMIC TO132 MILLION BOXES FUNDING FORTHAT PROGRAM ENDED AT MIDNIGHTJANUARY 1ST THAT'S A HUBERPRESIDENT OF THE NATIONALGRANGE IS FIGHTING TO GET THATFUNDING BACK AND JOINS US NOWLIVE THIS MORNING FROMWASHINGTON DC GOOD MORNING TOYOU.
GOOD MORNING.
THEDISAPPEARANCE OF THIS FUNDINGMUST HAVE JUST BEENDEVASTATING NEWS.
GIVEN HOWMANY PEOPLE ARE OUT OF JOBSBECAUSE OF COVID-19 787,000NEW UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS JUSTIN THE LAST WEEK YOU MUST HAVETHOUGHT THERE'S NO REAL WAYTHAT CONGRESS IS GOING TO LETTHIS GO.NIGHT A.
WE'RE VERYINSISTENT THAT THIS PROGRAM BECONTINUED ITS NOT ONLYBENEFICIAL FOR.
CITIZENS WHOARE HUNGRY.
BUT ALSO FOR THEFARMERS WHO ARE PRODUCING THEFOOD AND THE EARLY DAYS OF THEPANDEMIC.
THE FOOD CHAIN WASDISRUPTED SO WE'RE LEFT WITH ASURPLUS OF FOOD ON THE FARMAND NO WAY TO GET 200 PEOPLESO.
THE FARMERS TO FAMILIESFOOD BOX PROGRAM WAS A GREATSOLUTION.I KNOW CALIFORNIA WORKEDVERY HARD TO MAKE SOME OFTHOSE CONNECTIONS AND BUILDSOME OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE TOKIND OF REDIRECT THE SUPPLYCHAIN FOR THE FOOD THROUGHBOXES LIKE THAT AND TAKINGFOOD FROM FARMERS MILK FROMFARMERS.
WHEN IT COMES TOGETTING THEM TO FOLKS IN NEEDNOW WHAT YOUR LAST MINUTEEFFORTS LIKE TRYING TO KEEPTHIS FUNDING IN PLACE.WE SENT OUT A STATEMENTSAYING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TOOUR MEMBERS AND.PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGRY.GOOD NEWS.
THE PROGRAM WASNOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED INTHE LEGISLATION THAT WASPASSED ON DECEMBER 21ST BUTSINCE THIS THIS MONDAY IN FACTSECRETARY PERDUE RENEW THATANOTHER ONE AND A HALF BILLIONDOLLARS.
SO THAT.
HOPEFULLYWILL BE ENOUGH TO TAKE USTHROUGH THE 1ST QUARTER OF2021.
THE FUNDING FOR THE.PROGRAM SO THAT WAS GREATNEWS.THAT IS A DEFINITE BENEFIT,BUT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT KINDOF THE LONG GAME IN THIS ANDSTILL NOT HAVING ALL OF THESECTORS ARE SOCIETY WHERETHERE JOBS OR RESTORE BECAUSEOF THE CORONAVIRUS SO I'M SUREYOU'RE STILL WORKING.
TORESTORE EVEN MORE FUNDING ANDI KNOW YOU HAD A CONFERENCECALL WITH THE BIDEN-HARRISTRANSITION TEAM WERE THEY ABLETO GIVE ME ANY HOPE ABOUTEXACTLY WHERE THIS PROGRAM IGO OVER THE NEXT YEAR.NO WE DIDN'T REALLY DISCUSSMIC WE DISCUSSED HOUR.
THEGRANGE NUMBER ONE PRIORITYWHICH IS BROADBAND UNSERVEDAND UNDERSERVED AREAS.UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTUREIMPROVEMENT.
WELL HEALTH CAREWHICH IS ANOTHER BIG CONCERNOF OURS SO MANY RURALHOSPITALS HAVE CLOSED.
IT'S AMUCH MORE DIFFICULT RESIDENTSTO GET TO SEE A DOCTOR.
INTHIS PANDEMIC ESPECIALLY IFTHEY DON'T HAVE THEY CAN'TTHEY CAN'T ACCESS TELEMEDICINETHIS HAS BEEN A GREAT HELP INTHIS TIME PEOPLE DON'TNECESSARILY THINK CALIFORNIAAND ROLL BUT WE DEFINITELYHAVE SOME OF THOSE AREAS INOUR STATE AND YOU JUST BROUGHTUP THE BROADBAND SITUATIONAND.THE CRISIS THAT STARTED TOHAPPEN IN HOMES ACROSSCALIFORNIA BECAUSE INTERNETCONNECTIVITY WHEN EVERYBODYHAD TO GO HOME FOR SCHOOL WEHAVE SO MANY CHILDREN STILL INTHAT POSITION.
SO ANOTHER.VERY FORTUNATE DISCUSSION THATYOU ARE HAVING WITH THE BIDENTRANSITION TEAM FOR SOMEBODYWHO NEEDS HELP WITH FOOD NOWSINCE YOU DID GET SOME FUNDINGTO CONTINUE THIS TO THE 1STQUARTER WHAT SHOULD THEY DO IFTHEY WANT TO CONNECT TO ONE OFFAMILIES TO FOOD BACHSITUATIONS.I THINK CONTACT YOUR FOODCOVERED FOOD PANTRY.
FEEDINGAMERICA.
THE THE LOCAL.NONPROFITS IN YOUR AREA THEYCAN CONNECT YOU WITH WITH THISFOOD THEN PROVIDE HELP.WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FORJOINING US THIS MORNING.
WECERTAINLY HOPE THAT THEFUNDING IS RESTART WE'VECOVERED OR FOOD PANTRIES FOODBANKS AGAIN AND AGAIN IN OURAREA AND SOME OF THEM SERVINGTRIPLE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLETHAN THEY WERE THIS TIME LASTYEAR ALL BECAUSE OF JOB LOSSANOTHER STRAIN FOR THE ECONOMYBECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS SODEFINITELY THIS THIS ADDEDSTREAM WHERE PEOPLE CAN CANGET SOME ASSISTANCE AND FEEDTHEIR FAMILIES IS SOMETHINGTHEY DEFINITELY WANT TOMAINTAIN BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DOIT ALL SO WE WISH YOU LUCK INTHAT PURSUIT, THANK YOU SO
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