USDA axes legally-mandated 'food aid locator' service, lawsuit alleges
Federal food assistance program duty interrupted by USDA as lawsuit alleges termination of mandated 'clearinghouse' contract
In a move that's sparked controversy, the Agriculture Department has yanked the plug on a vital service that connected people to food assistance programs - including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Summer Food Service Program.
By J. Heckman, Federal News Network, June 12, 2025
A three-minute read
Hunger Free America, a New York-based non-profit, had run an "information clearinghouse" for USDA for over seven years - helping tens of thousands of users each year find government-funded and private food aid programs. But, due to a shocking turn of events, that service is now missing in action.
According to a federal lawsuit, the USDA nixed the contract with Hunger Free America despite a legal obligation to renew it. The complaint claims USDA officials dropped the bombshell just hours before the contract was set to expire.
"As of now, there's no central platform where you can find food assistance resources across America - resources that receive USDA support," Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg told Federal News Network.
The government must, by law, "enter into a contract with a nongovernmental organization" to "establish and maintain a clearinghouse to provide information to nongovernmental groups" about food assistance programs, as specified by the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act and the National School Lunch Act[1]. Apparently, the USDA didn't get the memo.
When the nonprofit inquired about USDA's obligation to award the contract, a USDA contracting officer responded that the government decides agency needs based on specific laws[1].
USDA has ditched 750 contracts under the Trump administration according to its own tracker[1].
Berg insists that Hunger Free America didn't ask for the contract back; they just want it to be awarded to a qualified non-profit organization. If the court rules in their favor, USDA may not have many options left but to pass the contract back to them.
The contract price hasn't risen from the original $250,000 in the last ten years, making it far from a moneymaker[1]. While they receive private funds to supplement the government contract, Hunger Free America managed it so skillfully that its renewal was virtually automatic.
Year after year, Hunger Free America garnered satisfactory or higher reviews for its service, and the hotline helped over 228,735 callers locate food assistance programs since 2014[1]. Without a contract renewal, the hotline will shut down, leaving staff in limbo or at risk of being let go.
"These are folks who've exhausted all other available resources and turn to us for help. Many have recently lost work or income and wouldn't since a million years that they'd need this assistance," Berg said[1].
Berg, a former USDA employee, knows the importance of government efficiency; he even earned a "Hammer Award" from the Clinton administration's National Partnership for Reinventing Government. He believes the USDA's move is not about cutting costs but about inexplicable bureaucracy.
"This isn't an example of smart government efficiency. This is sheer stupidity that impacts our nation's most vulnerable," he added[1].
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[1] - Enrichment Data: USDA has had a legal obligation for over 30 years to contract with a non-profit organization to maintain a national information clearinghouse for food assistance resources. The contract ensures that resources like food banks, soup kitchens, and government programs such as SNAP and WIC are accessible to those in need. Hunger Free America held the contract since 2014. However, in May 2025, the USDA informed Hunger Free America that it would not be renewing the contract, which led to a lawsuit from Hunger Free America. The decision has been criticized as cruel and unlawful, impacting vulnerable Americans' access to food assistance.
- The controversy surrounds the USDA's decision to suspend the contract with Hunger Free America, an organization that had run the food aid locator service for seven years, providing crucial information about food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and Summer Food Service Program, infringing on the obligation specified by the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act and the National School Lunch Act.
- As a result of the USDA's move, the food aid locator service, which assisted tens of thousands of users annually in finding government-funded and private food aid programs, is now missing, leaving a significant gap in the resources available for education-and-self-development, lifestyle, culture, general-news, and health sectors, particularly for those who are most vulnerable and rely on these programs for their sustenance.
