South Florida’s food-insecure families need consistent help from the state | Opinion

It has become increasingly clear this past year how important access to and distribution of emergency food is to our community. We are concerned about the confusion surrounding the recent contract-award process for The Emergency Food Assistance Program precisely because such confusion adds to the stress that families are already experiencing.

In South Florida, half of our community is considered ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). The pandemic has revealed their lack of access to basic needs again and again.

For the past year and half, the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey has shown that 12 percent of our community has been living with food insecurity. The South Florida region, according to the survey, has consistently ranked in the most food scarce regions in the country.

In Miami-Dade and Broward counties, we saw hundreds of cars lined up every day waiting to receive boxes of food from nonprofits, schools and elected officials, all of who hosted food-distribution drives. Individual and corporate donors stepped up like never before to help neighbors survive the economic fallout of the pandemic.

As stakeholders in our communities, United Way of Broward County and United Way of Miami-Dade often amplify the voices of ALICE families — who would otherwise go unheard — when our leaders make decisions that impact them most.

As nonprofits and funders, we are held to a high standard by our donors when we make funding decisions. They want to ensure their donations fund measurable outcomes for the community. Indeed, our funding decisions are made by volunteer councils of experts and laypeople who follow a rigorous structure to score grant applications.

It is with all of this in mind that we weigh in on the recent contract decision for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

There have been several concerning issues surrounding the TEFAP contract process to select the best qualified vendor to provide emergency food to South Florida’s families. Therefore, it is critical that any review is done with impartiality and transparency.

Taxpayers, in this case, are the donor, but ALICE families will be the most impacted. We must emphasize the importance of ensuring that a funding process is fair and accurate and does not undermine the public’s trust. In addition, mistakes must not unduly influence a decision of this magnitude.

We applaud Nikki Fried, Florida’s agriculture commissioner for her department’s willingness to review the results of its original decision. We ask that the department share the results of its review with the public and, ultimately, the rationale for granting the award to a particular entity. This high level of transparency will ensure that we, as stakeholders, are informed on state government’s decisions.

Before the pandemic, more than half our neighbors were experiencing economic insecurity. We know we’re not out of the woods yet, and any additional insecurity in the system could lead to detrimental effects.

As community stakeholders and funders, we understand firsthand that the pandemic has exacerbated food-insecurity challenges that persist in our communities. As part of organizations that have been engaged in building up stable and supported families for almost 100 years, we hope this situation is addressed in a way that ensures all parties have clarity and, most important, that the public is reassured that the decision was made fairly.

Maria C. Alonso is CEO of United Way of Miami-Dade. Kathleen Cannon is CEO of United Way of Broward County.

Alonso
Alonso
Cannon
Cannon