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BASTROP COUNTY — The Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry is urging community members to plan ahead and offer support as rising food prices, reduced federal assistance and looming supply shortages strain local hunger relief efforts.
In the first five months of 2025, the pantry has served more than 3,000 residents—a modest but steady increase over last year and the third consecutive year of rising need. Officials say the sharp cost of groceries and reduced access to federal resources have deepened food insecurity across rural areas of Bastrop County.
“Our rural community is facing challenges on all sides,” said Executive Director Tresha Silva. “We are not just seeing more people in need—we are seeing deeper levels of hunger as families struggle with inflation, reduced federal assistance, and now, the very real threat of food shortages this summer.”
The concerns come following cuts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which recently reduced food purchasing programs by $500 million. The Central Texas Food Bank—a major supplier to Bastrop’s site—reported a $5.5 million loss in funding and the cancellation of 40 deliveries, equal to about 761,000 lost meals, records show.
The Bastrop Pantry depends on the food bank for about 45% percent of its inventory, according to Silva.
As the only food pantry serving all of Bastrop County, the organization is preparing for an even more strained supply in the coming months. Rural pantries often bear the brunt of food shortages due to higher costs, fewer delivery options and limited access to bulk purchasing resources, Silva added.
In response, the Pantry is continuing a capital campaign aimed at expanding its storage and distribution capacity to one million pounds of food. Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, the Pantry spent roughly $14,000 per year to supplement its supply—in 2024, that number exceeded $40,000, according to officials.
The organization is asking the public to help in several ways, including volunteering, becoming a monthly donor or contributing to the capital campaign.
Thanks to a matching grant from the Mabee Foundation, all donations toward the campaign made through July will be matched dollar for dollar. The Pantry currently seeks to raise the remaining $400,000 to meet its goal.
For more information or to donate, visit bastropfoodpantry.org.
