Federal paperwork requirements are gumming up local food banks
Food banks across the nation are facing massive spikes in demand as the spread of Covid-19 puts millions out of work. In many places, they’ve set up to drive-through operations to encourage social distancing. The result? Long, long lines of cars. Turns out, it’s not the food that takes so long to distribute—it’s the paperwork. Several states have petitioned the Department of Agriculture to temporarily waive data-gathering requirements, The Washington Post reports. So far, the federal government has stalled on approving those requests. State officials who spoke to the Post appeared not to understand the depth of the food crisis bearing down on the country.
