Chloe Wright, Executive Editor
On an early Saturday morning, 230 families lined up outside Morton Memorial United Methodist Church’s food pantry in Monteagle, Tennessee. One of the people in this line, Carlia Anderson, heavily relies on the services Morton Memorial provides. Since she became disabled, she’s been overwhelmed by the cost of co-pays from her many doctor visits. She told The Purple she had to choose between covering medical expenses or putting food on the table. With the help of Morton Memorial, she has a strong support system and can get the nutrition she needs.
There are many stories like hers in Marion, Grundy and Franklin counties, where rates of food insecurity skyrocket compared to the rest of Tennessee. However, two initiatives established during the COVID-19 pandemic to mitigate the impact of food insecurity–the Local Food for Schools Program and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program–have recently been cut by the United States Department of Agriculture. This is one of the many efforts by the Trump Administration to cut federal spending. Furthermore, POLITICO reported around $500 million worth of deliveries to various food banks have been cancelled.
In Tennessee, $12.6 million of funding allocated to the Local Food for Schools program and $7.6 million to the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program have been cut. These developments have deeply concerned local food pantry directors. They worry that a lack of funding would hinder their ability to serve the population of these counties.
As an outreach mission for the Parish of St. Mark & St. Paul, the Community Action Committee (CAC) food pantry assists Sewanee, Sherwood and greater Franklin County families in need. Director Sarah Edmonds told The Purple they receive no federal funding and rely on donations and grants.
But, they receive food from Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, which distributes food to pantries to various local counties. The USDA cuts have devastated this Nashville-based food bank. According to a memo from its President and CEO Nancy Keil, they can no longer access 30% of food from the USDA. “This change means 700,000 fewer pounds of fresh produce, proteins, and dairy…at an estimated cost of $600,000.”
Edmonds said that the USDA cuts would create a domino effect: first, they would affect the food bank, then the pantries. “Then we don’t have enough good to give to our neighbors.”
“As of right now, everything is a new story each week of what’s happening and what’s changing. So, [we] do have to stay focused.”
In Franklin and Marion County, the childhood insecurity rates in 2023 were 18%, according to No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit targeting food insecurity amongst children. In March, they assisted 67 unique households–which was made up of 171 individuals. Edmonds said the CAC’s largest demographic in March 2025 were people aged 18-49.
“Our neighbors have so much gratitude for us being here,” Edmonds said. “They’ll say we don’t know what we would do without the CAC food pantry.”
Food has already been difficult to afford because of rising grocery prices. The USDA predicts that food prices will rise 3.5% this year. A 2025 survey by the personal finance company WalletHub listed the states where people spent a bulk of their income on groceries. Tennessee ranks ninth out of 50 states.
These rising prices have made purchasing food for pantries more difficult. “We would love to have eggs all the time,” Edmonds said. “But then I know it’s at an astronomical price for our neighbors to pay. But then at our end too, paying that much for all the dozens…It was just too much…I just don’t know if I can support spending that much for only that many eggs.”
Down the road from Sewanee’s campus, Morton Memorial’s food pantry faces similar challenges. The Marion-county-based church relies on the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, whose CEO has reportedly cited the cancelled $500 million purchases from USDA as cause for concern. According to WRCB Channel 3 in Chattanooga, the food bank expects a funding cut of around 20%.
Director Alyse Getty told The Purple the Monteagle food pantry is “totally reliant on them” but also sources food from local farmers, who she said are also being heavily affected by the cuts.
“We’re already seeing shortcomings with some of the availability of meat,” she said. “It was being purchased through those programs. And we’re lucky that the produce seems to last this month, but we anticipate that may directly impact what [Chattanooga Area Food Bank] is able to purchase, and that trickles down to our ability to purchase food from them. It’ll probably mean less food to share with our neighbors, and we will continue to do the best we can.”
The cuts are expected to hit particularly hard in Grundy County, which has been designated by the state government as one of Tennessee’s nine most economically distressed counties. Out of Tennessee’s 95 counties, Grundy County ranked 89th in health well-being and 65th in children experiencing food insecurity, according to United Way of Tennessee in 2023. While the Tennessee rate for children receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits is 24%, Grundy County fell below that line with a rate of 37%.
The Grundy County Food Bank in Coalmont, Tennessee aims to help those in need through their weekly food distributions. Their website states the importance of outreach work like this for Grundy County: “Due to limited resources and an isolated landscape at the top of a plateau, food insecurity is a pressing issue in our area. Our dedicated board members and volunteers work to ensure that no person goes hungry.”
The question remains: How can the Sewanee community help?
By doing what Sewanee students and local residents have always done–supporting these essential food programs. Edmonds shares her gratitude for the donations and grants that the CAC receives. Surpluses from McClurg Dining Hall and Sewanee-St. Andrews and partners such as Kroger in Decherd, Tennessee contribute regularly to the CAC. “If someone gave us $500, it would cover a thousand meals,” she said, “and we make 500-600 meals a month.”
The Grundy County Food Bank also benefits from donors around the area, including the towns of Altamont and Coalmont, Bonnaroo Music Festival and the South Cumberland Community Fund.
Sewanee’s fundraisers and student groups’ support also offer essential support to the three county food banks. Every fall, the Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Club hosts the Hunger Walk that directly contributes to the food pantries at Grundy County, Morton Memorial and the CAC. In 2024, student groups and community members raised $70,000 in that fall fundraiser.
Getty praised the walk for helping fund Morton Memorial’s food mission. “They make a big difference in basically the foundation of what we’re able to purchase. Those funds carry us through the majority of the year.”
In March, local sorority Kappa Omega hosted the 10th annual Sewanee Hearts and Grocery Carts: a sweepstakes to raise money for Morton Memorial. They auctioned off gift cards to various local businesses and raised $600 in 2025.
The food pantries also appreciate help from volunteers. Every second Saturday, community members and students gather at Morton Memorial and package food for the families lining up for assistance. Local sororities like Kappa Omega and Phi Sigma Theta have frequented these distribution sessions.
“It’s amazing how many people pitch in to make this work,” Getty said. “Sometimes, when the students are away, we don’t have many bodies to help us out because our average age is well over 60. Many people come out of the woodwork, and we’re blessed that, no matter what, we always make things work.”
Bonner Leaders for the CAC have emphasized the importance of organizations like this. Bonner Leader Stewart Miller (C ‘25) said, “We’re very intentional about trying to foster a sense of community. We’re here, not just for the folks of Franklin County who need the extra assistance, but we’re here for the entire community.”
The CAC also aids a student pantry in the basement of Cleveland Hall that doles out foodstuffs to students in need.
As these vulnerable counties receive less and less federal aid, food pantry leaders like Getty believe that community support will make a difference. “We survived COVID,” Getty said. “I have every confidence that our volunteers and contributors will help support us through these challenges.”