After Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue calling for an additional round of contracts for the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, USDA announced the authorization of $500 million to the quality food distribution program. Senator Hawley applauds the timely announcement to begin the deliveries of quality food boxes on November 1 through December 31, 2020.
“The Farmers to Families Food Box program has been a critical lifeline for thousands of families across Missouri throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” Senator Hawley said. “I applaud the USDA for authorizing additional funding to this program to help ensure households have food on the table in the months to come.”
Hawley sent this letter after hearing reports that food banks across Missouri have seen significant declines in recent weeks in the supply and quality of food made available to them through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program.
In May 2020, Senator Hawley, along with Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), urged Secretary Purdue to strengthen the Farmers to Families Food Box program by approving the participation of Convoy of Hope. As of September 2020, Convoy of Hope has distributed over 150 million meals.