CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Local volunteers say proposed changes to the federal Farm Bill could worsen child hunger in West Virginia, where roughly one in four kids face food insecurity each year, according to Feeding America.
The Farm Bill funds major nutrition programs, including SNAP, which lawmakers cut by nearly $187 billion over the next decade through last year’s budget reconciliation law. With the bill set to expire next month, community groups are urging Congress to strengthen—not restrict—access to food assistance.
Artie Mullins, project director of the Feed and Read program at the Southern Appalachian Labor School, said his team has seen rising demand for summer meals in Fayette County. The program delivers daily lunches to low‑income neighborhoods and serves 40 to 50 meals a day across four sites.
Mullins said organizations like his cannot replace the SNAP safety net, noting staff and volunteers were already stretched to capacity this summer. In West Virginia, one in six residents rely on SNAP to help keep food on the table.
Advocates say any additional cuts would leave families with fewer options and increase pressure on already strained community food programs.
