In 2024, the FACES Food Pantry helped 2,455 people in Prince Edward, Charlotte and Cumberland counties. The group gave out 400,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to those residents, with that work partially funded by a USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) grant. That funding is gone now, eliminated earlier this month as part of more than $1 billion in cuts made at the federal department. Now FACES is asking local governments, businesses and residents for help as a result, to try and avoid making cuts of their own. 

The grant funding in question was known as the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which annually provided $500 million to food banks across the nation. Under guidelines listed on the USDA website, these had to be fresh and minimally processed foods, with all supplies coming from within the state or within 400 miles of the distribution site. 

This was a relatively new program, funded by the American Rescue Plan and created to help deal with supply chain shortages to underserved and rural communities after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time it was created, the Virginia Department of Agriculture estimated the money would be used to buy food from 166 local farms and then work with food banks to distribute it to those in need. As of 2025, according to the USDA website, that number of Virginia farmers was up to 183. 

States had already been notified earlier this year of their allocation from the program for 2025, factoring it in budget discussions. Virginia, for example, was supposed to receive $13,582,814, according to the USDA website. Instead, at the beginning of March, states were informed the agreements would be terminated, following a 60-day notification period. That decision was part of the changes made by the cost-cutting federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

The impact on FACES

Before detailing the impact of this on FACES, let’s explain what the group is. FACES Food Pantry was founded in 1981 and helps residents in Prince Edward, Charlotte and the parts of Cumberland County with a Farmville address. 

The group distributes food every Saturday to families with incomes up to 250% of poverty level. As we mentioned, they served 2,455 people in 1,162 households in 2024. That’s up from 2,296 people from 1,100 households in 2023. 

“These are hard-working people whose jobs do not provide a living wage or retirees who worked at similar low-paying jobs and whose Social Security benefits are insufficient to meet the costs of living,” said Paul Baker. He and his wife Joanna serve as co-presidents of FACES. 

The food distribution at FACES is done through the weekly distribution, as well as helping temporarily homeless individuals referred by STEPS, and providing emergency food to those who find themselves without funds and without food. The group also supplies food for a backpack program that helps Prince Edward elementary and middle school students who might otherwise go hungry over the weekends away from school. 

“(Those) efforts were underwritten by a USDA grant that has now been cut by the administration,” Paul said. “As a result, Virginia farmers are hurt and the neighbors we serve at FACES Food Pantry may not be able to receive the fresh produce that is critical to addressing serious health challenges such as diabetes and heart disease, not to mention the health benefits to all those we serve.” 

He added that cuts have also been made to two other USDA programs, the Federal Emergency Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). Both of those cuts also hit FACES hard, as they helped pay for the food brought in. 

“In 2024, we received over 215,000 pounds of food under TEFAP, and over 93,000 pounds under CSFP,” Paul Baker said. “We can no longer add any individuals to the CSFP program, which provides supplemental commodities to those 60+ years of age, and the amount of food we receive for distribution under the TEFAP program may well be limited.”

He added that FACES has also been part of the national Healthy Pantry Initiative since its inception three years ago.  That program seeks to provide healthier food to address chronic diseases (in particular diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease among FACES clients), and to promote better health for all who need help. Not having the USDA grant becomes a problem with this as well. 

“The fresh produce we received from the Southside Virginia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association as a result of the USDA grant was a major boon in our efforts to achieve the goals of the healthy pantry initiative,” Paul said. 

Asking for help 

So what’s being done to address the issue? On the federal level, Virginia senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine wrote a letter last week to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, urging her to reverse the decision to cancel the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. 

“LFPA (allows) Virginia to procure local food and distribute to providers such as food banks and schools, benefitting producers, those experiencing food insecurity, and local economies,” the senators wrote. “With USDA’s decision to cancel these funds, Virginia farmers are deprived of a crucial market for this season and low-income communities face even greater barriers to access fresh, healthy foods.”

Paul said he’s made calls and reached out to everyone he can think of, from the state all the way up to the federal level. And the answer remains the same. There’s nothing they can do. He’s just tried to explain that as a result of these cuts, FACES will need to spend more money to get the food needed to meet the needs it encounters in this region. 

“We have been fortunate that the citizens of this area have been generous in their support,” Paul said. “This year, FACES may be required to ask people to dig just a bit deeper, as “Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” to assure that no one goes hungry in these difficult days.” 

Paul presented the group’s needs on Tuesday, March 18, during a budget workshop of the Prince Edward County board of supervisors. No decisions were made, as the workshop was just a time for community groups to present their requests. Similar requests have been made of Charlotte and Cumberland, but those groups are facing their own financial issues, as we’ve detailed previously. 

How can I help?

Anyone wanting to help FACES can do so in a number of ways. Donations may be sent to FACES Food Pantry, P.O. Box 644, Farmville, VA 23901, or given online at www.facesfoodpantry.com/donate. Also, you can contact the group through their website to ask about volunteer opportunities.