Chosen 300 outreach program concerned about federal budget cuts affecting its food programs

Chosen 300 worried as federal budget cuts impact its food programs

Federal budget cuts are threatening food service programs like Chosen 300 which help feed the homeless and families who are struggling.

PHILADELPHIA - Federal budget cuts are threatening food service programs like the one at Chosen 300. 

An award letter announced drastically reduced funding and a warning about a pause in dispersing the funds. 

Chosen 300 feeds the homeless and families who are struggling and some who are seeing cuts to their food assistance benefits like SNAP.

By the numbers:

Chosen 300 says it is seeing about a $41,000 decrease in its annual budget.

Its most recent award letter stated their funds were only $9,000. 

Chosen 300 says it is an 85% decrease from two years ago when in 2023 it received $60,000.

What they're saying:

"This place has given me so much hope," said Thomasina Glennon. She and her three young children are having a hot and hearty meal tonight at Chosen 300 in West Philly. They are homeless and live in a shelter.

"Sometimes the food is not always the greatest so having other places to go to eat, they invite us out to events and they have a lot of things for the community," she said about Chosen 300.

Before dinner there was church worship and Brian Jenkins who is the executive director of Chosen 300 gave a brief sermon. He says he is leaning on faith that these free daily community dinners will continue now that the non-profit is seeing cuts to federal funding.

"We kind of knew it was coming just from the political scheme right now. We realize that a lot of stuff was going to get cut. We did not realize it was going to be that great of a cut," he said. Chosen 300 received its award letter from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program which is part of FEMA.

"Those funds were only $9,000. We are talking about an 85% decrease from two years ago when in 2023 we got $60,000," said Jenkins who adds that free groceries that struggling families come here on other days to get to take home are also at risk. Families are seeing cuts to food assistance like their SNAP benefits.

"We also have bulk distribution programs, we have grocery programs and a lot of those things are being impacted," said Jenkins.

Penn Medicine funded and served Monday night's dinner for Chosen 300 to prepare.

"Regardless of the political climate we have we need to be good neighbors," said Laura Kim with Penn Medicine.

Jenkins says there is also a delay in receiving the reduced funds.

His award letter reads in part, "On January 27, the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memorandum to federal agencies requiring a temporary pause on all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance that may be implicated by recent executive orders."

"Even though it’s only $9,000, that's $9,000 we still haven’t received yet and don't know when it's going to show up," said Jenkins.

What's next:

Chosen 300 is asking the community to donate or to support its Walk Against Homelessness fundraiser on June 14.