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 million. Saylor said the organization distributed roughly $14.5 million worth of food in 2024 and plans similar scale for the coming year.

Saylor also warned of a recent federal reduction in USDA commodity deliveries. "Last Friday, we found out that about 15 to 20% of that food had been cut by the federal government and will not be coming — it's about one tractor-trailer truckload per month," she said, adding that much of the reduction affected protein items such as eggs, chicken and pork.

Committee discussion focused on how federal policy and other changes could raise demand for charitable food assistance. Members asked whether cuts to SNAP or changes to universal school meals would significantly increase need for the food bank. Saylor replied that the available evidence and the food bank’s observations indicate the end of pandemic-era SNAP emergency allotments in April 2023 corresponded with a sustained rise in demand. She said research led by the University of Vermont (Dr. Meredith Niles) indicates lack of money to buy food is the primary driver of food insecurity and that food-insecure households have experienced multiple adverse financial events since the pandemic.

Saylor described geographic reach and logistics: the Vermont Food Bank operates three distribution centers (the largest near Montpelier in Barre, a second center in Brattleboro and a smaller warehouse also serving southeastern Vermont), works with roughly 300 Vermont farms through targeted purchasing programs, and distributes food via a statewide network of food shelves, meal sites and other partners.

On actions and next steps, the committee did not take a formal vote. Committee members asked Saylor to provide specific draft language for the committee’s appropriations letter. The chair confirmed that the governor’s recommended budget contains no funding for this request, while the House budget includes $500,000 for food purchase and distribution. Saylor said she will send the committee the requested language and details to help craft an appropriations request.

Context and constraints: Saylor noted that the food bank’s purchasing needs often require pallet- or truckload-scale transactions that smaller local farms cannot always meet, which is one reason the food bank both purchases regionally at scale and runs programs (including the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters grants described in House bill H.167) that help channels funds to local producers when appropriate. She also emphasized that FEMA and federal disaster mechanisms do not always provide timely or sufficient assistance for immediate household food needs after floods and storms.

Committee members asked how the food bank tracks need and what drives spikes in distribution. Saylor pointed to a steep spike in August 2023 after July floods, and to October peaks in both 2023 and 2024. She said 60% of the food the bank distributes comes from donations, 15–20% from USDA commodity programs, and the remainder from purchased food and other sources; she warned that reduced federal commodities will force more purchasing to fill protein and other gaps.

The committee’s consideration: Members indicated willingness to include an appropriation request in the committee’s letter to appropriations staff, contingent on receiving specific language and line-item proposals from the Vermont Food Bank. No formal appropriation or vote was recorded in the committee meeting record.

The committee scheduled further budget work and asked staff to circulate the food bank’s written request and slides on the committee website. Saylor left the meeting after questions; committee staff and senators signaled they would review the submitted language and consider how to parse the ask across budget lines.

Ending note: The Vermont Food Bank’s request links state-level emergency preparedness work to ongoing food-insecurity relief, seeking a mix of one-time readiness funds and ongoing support for increased purchasing responsibilities. The committee did not commit to a funding decision at the April 1 meeting but requested written appropriation language from the food bank to inform the budget process.