Hunger Deepens in Rural West Virginia Amid Trump Administration Cuts
Rural communities face growing hunger as food banks see cuts under Trump’s administration amid rising demand and fuel costs.
J. Tewell/Flickr
In Dunlow, West Virginia, a half-mile line of vehicles stretched before dawn on September 16 as residents waited hours for food boxes amid growing scarcity. Bill Likens, director of community outreach at Cabwaylingo Presbyterian Chapel, confronted the daunting task of rationing limited supplies to a hungry community hit hard by federal funding cuts and increased demand.
Growing Lines and Shrinking Supplies
Likens, 51, who depends on a cane for mobility, oversaw the unloading of food pallets from a semitruck that morning. He carefully counted cartons of eggs and sacks of potatoes to divide among the waiting cars, many of which had traveled over 30 miles along flood-prone, winding roads to reach the distribution site. The food pantry estimated there were two households per vehicle, with many people carpooling to save on gas costs.
“There’s a decent chance we could run out,” Likens said. “I don’t want them to sit in that line and not get anything. But I don’t have a lot of extra food these days.”
Federal Cuts and Policy Changes Strain Food Banks
The struggles in Dunlow reflect a broader national trend. An NBC News survey of 48 large food banks across 35 states and Washington, D.C., revealed that nearly 75% reported increased demand over the past year. Meanwhile, more than 80% said the quantity of food and funding received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had declined, complicating efforts to meet rising needs amid higher fuel prices.
Food banks like Maine’s Good Shepherd Food Bank have seen USDA food deliveries fall from 13 million pounds to 9 million pounds within a year. Michigan’s Forgotten Harvest has reduced the amount of food it distributes, rationing items such as cutting potato bags from two to one and yogurt tubs from six to two to stretch resources.
Policy Impacts on SNAP and Food Assistance
These challenges stem in part from policy decisions made during President Donald Trump’s second term. Early in his administration, a $400 million Covid-era program that supplied food banks with produce from local farmers was cut, and $500 million in other USDA food purchases were paused. Although Congress increased funding for a long-established emergency food assistance program, many food banks say total support is still lower than during the previous administration.
In addition, Trump signed new restrictions on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility, requiring nearly all able-bodied adults without young children to work, volunteer, or attend school at least 80 hours monthly. This policy change led to more than 5 million people, including at least 1 million children, losing their food benefits.
Local Impact Amid National Challenges
Likens and his team in Dunlow face the grim reality of these federal decisions every day. The increased demand, coupled with diminished supplies and rising transportation costs due to higher fuel prices linked to the ongoing Iran war, leaves food pantries stretched thinner than ever. Many people in the community, from workers on lunch breaks to older adults burdened by medical bills, now rely heavily on food assistance.
Poonam Gupta, senior research associate at the Urban Institute, explained: “People are facing multiple hits to their budgets. It is really difficult to find a way to continue affording a healthy and nutritious and balanced diet when you just have these constant hits.”
Administration’s Defense of Policies
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the administration’s approach, stating that President Trump is “uplifting every American’s financial situation” through tax cuts and efforts to boost jobs and investments. Kelly asserted that the administration is “strengthening SNAP for the Americans who need it by ensuring these programs are sustainable for future generations.”
The ongoing hunger crisis in rural communities like Dunlow highlights the complex interplay between federal policy and local realities, as food bank workers and volunteers strive to feed their neighbors amid shrinking resources and growing need.
