Cuts Challenge Food Ministry’s Mission
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Compassion Ministries General Manager Danny Forsyth speaks during a community meeting Monday night at The Civic, explaining how recent federal cuts have reduced food supplies for local families.
WATER VALLEY – A steep drop in federal food supplies and rising grocery costs are putting unprecedented strain on Compassion Ministries, the long-running food pantry that has served families across Yalobusha County and portions of Lafayette Count for nearly three decades.
General Manager Danny Forsyth said the pantry — which partners with the Mississippi Food Network (MFN) in Jackson — has seen its monthly supply from MFN drop drastically since March, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture halted more than $1 billion in national food assistance funding across the nation. The cut has forced the ministry to buy more food locally to keep up with demand.
Forsyth shared the update Monday night during a community meeting at The Civic, where residents gathered to learn how the organization continues to serve families amid shrinking support.
Founded 27 years ago by Rev. Raymond Aven, then pastor of Springdale Family Worship Center, Compassion Ministries is supported by 14 churches and corporate partners BankFirst and Solero Technologies, each contributing volunteers and financial support.
Forsyth said the pantry currently provides groceries to about 300 families a month, representing roughly 600 individuals. The boxes include flour, sugar, canned goods, pasta, frozen meat, and fresh produce when available — staples that help many households make ends meet.
“We have so many elderly people that thought years ago, when they were working at Big Yank or places like that, that Social Security would get them through retirement. It doesn’t do it,” Forsyth told the group. “We’ve got people drawing $750 a month, and that’s it. Many have told us if it wasn’t for that box of food, they couldn’t afford their medicine.”
The pantry’s challenges stem from a decline in USDA food supplies. The Mississippi Food Network receives much of its inventory through federal commodity programs and bulk purchases, then distributes it to local food pantries statewide.
“We’ve got people that drive from Tillatoba, Scobey, Oakland, Coffeeville — all around,” Forsyth said. “We want to make it worth their while to drive over and get a box, and we want to sustain them as best we can under the conditions they’re in.”
While the ministry remains financially stable, Forsyth said deficits are unsustainable longterm.
“Last month, we took in about $5,000 in contributions and had expenses of $10,000,” he said.
The decline in federal food supplies comes as Mississippi families face additional uncertainty about their SNAP benefits during the ongoing federal government shutdown. Forsyth said some residents have reported finding their EBT cards empty this month after the USDA temporarily halted payments to the program that provides food assistance to about 42 million Americans.
Two federal judges have since ordered funding restored, but Forsyth said no one knows when the payments will actually resume.
“I got a call today from a young mother with small children,” he said. “She told me her EBT balance was zero, and she didn’t know what she was going to do. They say the funds are coming back, but we don’t know when — or how much.”
To offset shortages, Compassion Ministries purchases more food, primarily from Larson’s Cash Saver at a discount. Forsyth credited long-time donors and faithful volunteers for helping the pantry stay afloat.
“We’ve been good stewards and we have funds in the bank,” he said. “But you can’t operate with a $5,000 deficit for long.”
The pantry operates at 1301 Highway 7 north of Water Valley, distributing boxes on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. During November and December, distribution shifts to the second and third Thursdays from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Anyone in need can come during the distribution dates and fill out paperwork to determine eligibility.
“There’s a lot of people in this community that don’t have food on their table,” he said. “When you go up there and see what we see every month — it’s really sad.”
Other Food Support Efforts In The County
At the Episcopal Church of the Nativity on Main Street, parishioners are expanding the church’s Blessing Box program. Alexe van Beuren, owner of The B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery, partnered with the effort to supply perishable staples such as milk and eggs.
“I realized that’s something the BTC could absolutely help with,” van Beuren said. “So I posted on social media asking for support.”
The response was overwhelming. Her post has been viewed more than 40,000 times, with donations pouring in from across the country including many from BTC’s regular customers.
The result is the BTC Basics Card, a prepaid voucher redeemable for milk from Brown Family Dairy (Tula), ground beef from Homeplace Pastures (Como), farm eggs from Serendipity Farms and William Jeffries of Yalobusha County, and bananas.
“I’m blown away by the outpouring of support,” van Beuren said. “The generosity has been amazing.”
Anyone in need can ask for a BTC Basics Card at the counter — no questions asked.
“The local farmers have always been incredible about feeding our community,” she added. “It’s really rewarding to see their products reaching more families.”
In Oakland, the Farmacy Market on Highway 51 is also expanding its outreach. The nonprofit grocery is offering 30 free food boxes each month to elderly residents and households with children who present an EBT card.
“For every additional $30 donated, we can provide another box,” said Kini Bradford-Jefferson, director of In Her Shoes, Inc.
Donations can be made via Venmo or by mailing checks to:
In Her Shoes, Inc.
457 Redbud Street
Oakland, MS 38948
“We’re blessed to have this in our community,” said Linda Aldy, a board member for the non-profit.
