Policy Priorities

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, helps put food on the table for more than 1.9 million Pennsylvanians each month by providing money on an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card for food purchases at local grocery stores, farmers markets, and other authorized retailers. 

The Food Bank works to protect SNAP from funding cuts and harmful policy changes and to improve benefit adequacy. SNAP benefits are already inadequate for most families to purchase enough food to provide a healthy diet throughout the month. The Food Bank mobilizes our network as needed to advocate to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and elected officials about the importance of SNAP for families, farmers, food processors and vendors. 

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal nutrition program that moves food from farms to food banks to families facing hunger. Through TEFAP, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases nutritious food from U.S. growers and producers. Feeding America network food banks (and other emergency assistance organizations) then partner with states to distribute these USDA foods to eligible individuals and families. 

TEFAP food purchases provide a win-win for food banks, farmers, and individuals and families facing hunger. 

Known as the PA Senior Food Box Program in Pennsylvania, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) leverages government buying power to provide nutritious, domestically produced food packages to almost 40,000 eligible seniors across the state each month. CSFP boxes do not provide a complete diet but rather are strong sources of nutrients typically lacking in the normal diets of older Americans. Among the types of foods included in the food boxes are non-fat dry and shelf-stable fluid milk, juice, oats, ready-to-eat cereal, rice, pasta, dry beans, peanut butter, canned meat, poultry or fish, and canned fruits and vegetables.

WIC Policy Priorities

1. Fund WIC at a sufficient funding level that will ensure every eligible family who applies for the program can receive the benefits, accounts for trends in participation and food costs, and protects the cash value benefit for fruits and vegetables.
2. Support the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP) with full funding to increase access to healthy foods at local farmers’ markets, farm stands, and other eligible locations.

SFSP and CACFP Policy Priorities

1. Align the area eligibility requirements for SFSP and CACFP, allowing CACFP sites to adopt the more generous SFSP guidelines to prevent disruption of year-round service to kids in need.
2.  Expand the successful Rural Non-Congregate model of service which allows children to receive up to seven days of bundled meals. 
3. Allow grab and go options for congregate SFSP sites which was allowed during the pandemic and resulted in many more kids having access to food.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) was enacted by the federal government in 1974. Today, it provides annual grants to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development that are further allocated on a formula basis to approximately 200 local governments within Pennsylvania.

CDBG is a flexible program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs, such as infrastructure, housing and community facilities. It also provides funds to develop viable communities through the provision of housing improvements and building suitable living environments, expand economic opportunities geared to low- and moderate-income individuals and improve critical community health and welfare infrastructure.

Annual funding is designated to municipalities through the state entitlement program, which includes counties, cities, boroughs, towns and townships throughout the commonwealth. Project funding is available to eligible local governments through the competitive program set aside for critical infrastructure or revitalization projects.

The CDGB program allocates funds to provide services throughout the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. These funds are a critical resource to Food Bank member agencies, providing nutrition assistance for food insecure residents.

The City of Pittsburgh has established a $3 million Food Justice Fund to support stakeholders of our local food system, including growers, producers, retailers, and providers. The Fund will provide grants to individuals, organizations, and businesses in communities most impacted by inequities in access to affordable, healthy food.

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) program allows low- and moderate-income families to reduce their tax liability for each qualifying child under the age of 17.

The 2021 American Rescue Plan increased the value of the CTC to $3,600 for children under age 6, and $3,000 for those age 6-17. It also made the tax credit fully refundable, ensuring families with lower incomes receive a greater increase in the amount received and making the credit available to many extremely low-income families for the first time. Food purchases were the most common use of the expanded CTC. These increased family funds reduced food insecurity by 19% among families with children. The expanded CTC expired in December 2021.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit available to eligible workers earning relatively low wages. The EITC is provided to individuals and families once a year, in a lump-sum payment after individuals and families file their federal income tax returns. The amount of the credit a taxpayer receives is based on the prior year’s earned income and family composition.

The 2021 American Rescue Plan expanded this tax credit, with the additional benefits targeted to younger, low-income taxpayers without dependents. This expansion expired on December 31, 2021.

The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) is a tax credit program which encourages businesses to invest in projects that improve the quality of life of Pennsylvanians. This initiative has enabled the private sector to donate millions of dollars to community organizations while substantially reducing their tax burden.

The Charitable Food Program (CFP) component of NAP (one of four) is focused on improving food security in Pennsylvania. CFP assists charitable programs that provide food to low-income populations in distressed areas. A tax credit of up to 65% can be awarded.