Vermont Food Bank asks state for $5 million to shore up disaster response and food purchases

Carrie Saylor, government and public affairs director for the Vermont Food Bank, asked the Senate Committee on Government Operations on April 1 to include a $5 million appropriation in the state’s budget to support the food bank’s disaster-response and ongoing food-purchase work.

Saylor told the committee the request is split into two parts: $1,750,000 for “responsive readiness” tied to disaster and emergency response, and $3,250,000 for food purchase and distribution. "Our mission is to gather and share quality food and nurture partnerships so that no one in Vermont will go hungry," Saylor said in her presentation.

The ask, Saylor said, reflects a continuing high level of need since the COVID-19 pandemic and a pattern of weather-driven emergencies that have required rapid food assistance. She described the food bank’s role supporting state operations during the pandemic and providing emergency help after recent floods, noting the organization stages supplies at its distribution centers so communities have what they need when a storm or flood strikes.

Why it matters: Saylor told the committee that donated food and federal commodities no longer cover previous gaps, and that the food bank has increased large-scale food purchasing to make up the difference. She said the food bank serves about 72,000 people per month and operates on an annual budget of about $18…