Final community food distribution scheduled for July 17 in Tea- Mobile food distribution in Tea to end following federal program cuts

The final Tea Area Community Food Distribution event will be held Thursday, July 17, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 335 W. First St., in Tea. This drive-through distribution is open to anyone in need—no pre-registration is required. Registration will take place on-site, and food will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Volunteers will load the food directly into recipients’ vehicles.

Organizers announced that this will be the last distribution event in the Tea community. Feeding South Dakota, the nonprofit responsible for the mobile food distributions, has made the difficult decision to discontinue service in Tea due to recent federal budget cuts impacting The Emergency Assistance Food Program (TEFAP). TEFAP food is a major component of the mobile distributions, and with reduced availability and funding, Feeding South Dakota is reallocating resources to meet the needs of communities statewide as effectively as possible.

“We sincerely thank all those that have volunteered their time, given monetary and food donations to this great food ministry,” organizers said in a statement. 

For those in need of continued food assistance, the Tea Area Food Pantry remains available at the same location—335 W. First St.—and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Additional mobile food distribution locations can be found by visiting www.feedingsouthdakota.org/mobile.