ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Hundreds of food banks and pantries across the Finger Lakes region are bracing for issues as Foodlink, which helps supply them, has had some of its federal funding cut.

“17 truck-loads of food have been cancelled this spring alone that amounts to about $655,000 worth of food that will not be coming into our community,” says Julia Tedesco, CEO of Foodlink.

Tedesco said the cuts are particularly impactful right now as food insecurity and prices are at record highs.

The USDA, which provides American-grown products like fresh produce and dairy, has ended or significantly scaled back two pandemic-era programs that paid farmers for food that went to organizations like Foodlink.

This will impact will trickle down to programs like the Geneseo-Groveland Emergency Food Pantry, which serves more than 400 people monthly.

“Every time you think you have it figured out, you don’t,” says Deb Maclean, the pantry’s manager. “They’re really appreciative and thankful that we’re there for them. There’s a sense of nervousness right now with the uncertainty, folks just don’t know what’s, none of us know what’s going to happen ya know… so we’re all just kinda waiting for the ball to drop I think.”

While the pantry isn’t at the point of empty shelves, backup plans are in the works.

“The emergency food network is piecing together all different sources of food from corporate donations to retail donations to purchase food and food drives,” Tedesco says.

Foodlink is dealing with the cuts that have already happened and bracing for what could happen as lawmakers start discussing SNAP benefits.

“That is the biggest threat that is looming ahead, for every one meal that our food bank and our region distributes, SNAP benefits distribute 10 meals to people in need. Cutting those will result in a crisis for thousands of families in our region,” Tedesco says.