Food Pantry News
In March, the federal government (USDA) announced funding cuts to nutrition programs affecting food banks, schools and farmers. These cuts immediately eliminated three important programs:
1. Local Food for Schools - this program, which helped schools purchase food from local farmers, was cut by $660 million.
2. Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) -this program, which provided funding for food banks to purchase food from local farms, was cut by $500 million.
3. Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) - a portion of the TEFAP funding, specifically the $500 million intended for food banks, was also cut.
The elimination of these programs had an immediate and direct impact on Foodlink, our regional food bank with a reduction of 17 truckloads of food and $42,500 in funding.
At the same time, food pantries - including Friendship House, are seeing a significant increase in food insecurity. The Friendship House Pantry has 573 registered families who have visited at least once in 2025. On average there are 660 visits to the pantry every month. In 2025 we have also seen an increase in new families needing food.
With the recent federal cuts and increasing need, meeting the needs of those who ask for help is becoming increasingly difficult. Individual donations continue to sustain us however, to keep our shelves stocked, we have had to spend significantly more of our funds on purchasing food staples. In the long run, this spending is not sustainable.
Friendship House needs to react and adapt to these changes, but as an organization that families depend on for basic food needs, we need to be cautious and respectful as we move forward.
In response to an increased need several years ago, the Board of Directors made the decision that Friendship House would adopt an “open pantry” policy. This means that the pantry serves any families who request assistance no matter where they reside. This has allowed us to help more families, some which have limited access to other options. Respecting this need, we will continue to be an open pantry.
The Board of Directors and staff have reviewed pantry visits and looked for some opportunities to reduce the volume of visits each month. Of the families that visit the pantry, 20% visit three or more times a month. The majority of families visit once or twice per month. With this information, the decision was made to make a change to the visit frequency by some families.
As of 5/21/2025, families outside of the Marcus Whitman School District will be able to visit once every 14 days rather than weekly. Additionally, we will make available information on food pantries local to families who come from other zip codes. Families within the school district may still visit weekly. At any time, should your family require additional support, please speak with our pantry manager for further help.
With this change, we believe we can save resources while still serving families who come to Friendship House for food assistance. We are grateful for your understanding and thankful for the opportunity to continue to help your family.
Donations help us provide food. If you’re interested in helping, visit our Donation page.
