Several City and County Mayors voiced concerns Wednesday morning about rural counties’ ability to receive food following the state take over of UCHRA’s commodity program.
Three food banks, including Second Harvest, will take over the program in October after a decision by the state. UCHRA Executive Director Mark Farley said the Middle Tennessee region lacks the infrastructure to distribute food in at least 13 counties. Farley said small Upper Cumberland communities may be most impacted.
“My bet is Clay and Pickett and a few more of our smaller, rural [counties],” Farley said. “I don’t know about Jackson. They’re delivering Second Harvest there, but can they distribute the commodities? I don’t know.”
White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said he was at a loss over the situation, and wanted to know if UCHRA could do anything to help in the short term. Farley said they would offer support any way they could, but doing so is difficult without funding.
Deputy Director LaNelle Godsey said part of the issue with Second Harvest is that they do not always have the proper staffing to ensure that only eligible recipients get commodities. Often times, Godsey said the Food Bank drops off a truck and let people take what they need.
Farley said the impacts would be lessened if the Food Banks had partner agencies in rural counties. Farley said the concern is verifying who is eligible to receive commodities.
Godsey said finding partners will be difficult because of a need for volunteers. She said it took three internal staff members and multiple volunteers for UCHRA to distribute commodities in each county.
Farley said the state seemed set on its decision and there are few options for UCHRA to try to stop it. Spencer Mayor Alisa Farmer suggested going to the federal government for help, since the program is federally funded.
Farley said Second Harvest will not be increasing its commodity distribution with the additional funding they will receive..
“Second Harvest has been losing money for the last several years I understand,” Farley said. “They wanted the funds we were getting to try to offset their losses.”
Farley said some people have blamed UCHRA and local leadership for the decision, but they had no say in the matter.
“This is not anything we’ve chosen to do,” Farley said. “It has been chosen and given to us.”
