Tester Secures More Than $1.2 Million for Montana Food Banks

Funding will help Montana communities provide low-income and elderly populations with nutrition assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic

As communities across Montana work to ensure that vulnerable populations have the resources they need to stay healthy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today announced that Montana food banks will receive $1,233,964 so they can continue providing low-income and elderly populations with access to nutrition assistance.

“Montanans take care of each other, and now more than ever it’s critical that we do everything we can to help our neighbors during this uncertain time,” said Tester. “Our food banks are going above and beyond to ensure that vulnerable folks in our communities can put food on the table throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and this funding will help them keep up with the increasing need for nutrition assistance to low-income families and elderly folks across our state, and do so safely and effectively.”

This funding was provided by The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and was allocated through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act—a bill that passed the Senate with Tester’s support last month. TEFAP is a federal program that works to supplement the diets of low-income Americans and the elderly by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. Combined, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided $850 million for TEFAP.

Tester has been working tirelessly to ensure that vulnerable Montanans have the resources they need throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Earlier this week, he announced that Montana will receive more than $5.5 million to support senior citizens and individuals with disabilities, and he recently secured $2 million for the Montana Department of Health and Human Services to bolster the state’s capacity to provide behavioral health services to those with substance use disorders and mental illnesses throughout the public health crisis.

After 72 hours negotiating substantial, bipartisan improvements to COVID-19 stimulus legislation that had previously fallen far short for Montana, Tester voted to deliver critical, urgent relief to Montana workers, families, small businesses, hospitals and others hardest hit by the outbreak. This funding included $1.25 billion for the state of Montana and was delivered to the state earlier this week.

Visit tester.senate.gov/coronavirusresources for a list of resources for Montanans during the COVID-19 outbreak