As lawmakers in Washington DC continue to look at ways to balance the federal budget with funding cuts, local agencies are worried about the impact on the clients they serve.
For Kitty Rolston, the box of food she gets from the West Ohio Food Bank is a real example of the old saying, "It's the little things in life that mean the most". The box of food she receives each month, help her move money in her budget from food to much needed medicine and making that choice is a possibility that Rolston and other seniors in the area may have to face.
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program is one of the programs that could be facing serious budget cuts in Washington DC. Law makers are currently looking at funding cuts to programs so they can balance the budget. If the currently proposed cuts go through, it could mean 20% of participating local seniors will not get food boxes.
The West Ohio Food Bank has been doing the Senior Food Box Program for around 3 years, and they are one of the hand full of food banks in Ohio that offer the program in the state. They have been urging local law makers to keep funding in place, so seniors won't have to make tough choices when it comes to their own budget.
West Ohio Food Bank CEO Bambi Markham says the seniors they are serving, need to have a food box every month. She is asking the public to contact federal lawmakers, Congressmen Jim Jordan and Bob Latta, as well as U.S. Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown to help explain the need for the funding.
