Vermont Food Bank asks legislature for $5 million to shore up purchases and disaster readiness

The Vermont Food Bank asked the Legislature’s Agriculture, Food Resiliency & Forestry Committee on Oct. 12, 2025, for $5 million in state funding to support food purchases and disaster readiness as demand for charitable food remains elevated across the state.

"Our mission is to gather and share quality food and nurture partnerships so that no one in Vermont goes hungry," said John Sales, chief executive officer of the Vermont Food Bank, as he summarized the organization’s operations and a legislative funding request. The bank requested $1,750,000 for responsive readiness and $3,250,000 for food purchase and distribution, including continued purchases of Vermont-grown food through the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program.

The request comes amid sustained need. Sales told the committee the food bank distributed roughly 14,500,000 pounds of food last year through three distribution centers in Barre, Rutland and Brattleboro, up from about 10,000,000 pounds before the COVID-19 pandemic and down from a peak of about 20,000,000 pounds at the height of the crisis. He said donated food comprises about 60% of distributions and the organization purchased an increasing share of its supply in recent years.

Why it matters: Committee members were shown how the food bank’s network reaches across the state and how state support would help both routine operations and emergency response. The bank and Hunger Free Vermont argued legislators’ investments can help maintain local food purchasing, preserve distribution capacity and improve preparedness for floods or other disruptions.

Key facts and programs

- Network scale: Sales said the…