All across Whidbey, food banks, pantries and other nonprofit organizations alleviating hunger must contend with increased demand for services coupled with a shortage of funding, food and support.

Food banks, which rely on state and federal funding from the Emergency Food Assistance Program, known as EFAP, are waiting to hear just how much has been cut by the Trump administration. More details are expected to crystallize sometime this week.

In addition to EFAP, some food banks, like North Whidbey Help House, receive supplemental food from the USDA under another program known confusingly as TEFAP, which stands for the same thing as EFAP.

Executive Director Jean Wieman said North Whidbey Help House is receiving less food through TEFAP than previously.

“Nobody knows what’s happening,” Wieman said. “It’s just getting kinda scary.”

Not only that, but food costs have doubled for the food bank in Oak Harbor over the last few years, from about $75,000 in 2022 to $152,195 in 2024.

“Our donations have slowed down, which also doesn’t surprise me,” Wieman said. “Everybody’s kind of in the same boat.”

Staff have been seeing a lot of new people using the food bank that they haven’t seen before. Wieman anticipates that the number of users will go up soon as people grapple with higher food prices.

At the end of March, Good Cheer Food Bank on South Whidbey served 1,600 more community members than at the same time last year.

Sarah Benner-Kenagy, who is part of Good Cheer’s executive team, said it’s a bit of a perfect storm when combined with significant federal funding reductions.

“At a time where every dollar is being stretched as much as it can, we’re also seeing a reduction in governmental support for those programs,” she said.

While other food relief organizations – such as Whidbey Island Nourishes – may not be feeling this pinch since WIN is funded entirely by private donations and grants, the demand is just as high.

Executive Director Marie Shimada said one in five students are enrolled in WIN’s weekend meal program, which serves a total of 241 youth with delivered groceries or ready-made meals.

“This is more children than what we had enrolled during the pandemic, and I really believe that’s an indicator of where local families are at economically right now,” she said, adding that there has been a 10% increase in the number of clients within the past three months.

WIN is the nonprofit fiscal sponsor for South Whidbey School Farms. Together with the school district, the entities have hosted Americorps positions for service members who worked directly on-site at the school farm and in the agriculture and culinary classrooms. But with the recent slashing of funding for the Americorps program, the South Whidbey positions were put on administrative leave without pay.

Tanya Hernandez-Garzon, who runs Queen-Bee Pantry out of her home in Greenbank, said her food pantry helps between five to ten people every day. Customers seem to be coming more from South Whidbey these days rather than Oak Harbor.

“It’s a very hard time, I can tell you that,” Hernandez-Garzon said. “And seeing the need, the need has increased so much. Having a hard time getting the food is really difficult for us.”

She has spoken with other food pantries around the Puget Sound region, who have also been struggling with distribution issues since food comes through USDA, which has suffered cuts.

Though times may seem bleak, food assistance organizations are in need of support now more than ever.

Wieman said North Whidbey Help House publishes a monthly list of items to donate. For May, this includes rice, canned ravioli/stew/chili, soup, family sized canned fruit and tuna, pasta and ramen.

But if you’re at the grocery store and see a good sale on something, she advises you to buy it. Don’t like to shop? Send a check instead.

Good Cheer Food Bank is looking for any form of support, whether it’s grants to help fill the gaps made by funding cuts, volunteers or people sharing the food bank’s social media and newsletters with their friends and families.

“These are really challenging times, but we do remain hopeful,” Benner-Kenagy said. “This community has demonstrated time and time again generosity and resiliency.”

Shimada said WIN launched a new fundraising and outreach campaign this month focusing on the high rate of local youth in the programs. In addition, WIN is conducting a pilot program called “Grow a Row” where Deep Harvest Farm in Freeland has sponsored a vegetable bed to grow food for WIN.

“So often, people tell me that they had no idea the need was so high in a community like ours, and I strive everyday to make sure we are getting the reality out there,” Shimada said. “There’s food insecurity all over, including our own quaint South Whidbey.”

Queen-Bee Pantry recently started a fundraiser page on Facebook to auction off items, such as a vintage Tonka Truck, to raise money for the organization. Volunteers are also needed.