Sen. Andy Kim met nonprofit leaders Saturday in Paterson for a roundtable discussion regarding President Donald Trump’s rescinded federal grant freeze and other executive orders that could stop them from continuing their critical work.
The freshman senator took a tour of the CUMAC Food Pantry and shelter at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the city. Organizations say a funding freeze could be detrimental to the services and support they offer.
“Last year, we served 71,000 individuals through our doors and it just brings fear for us to think those individuals might not have access to healthy, nutritious food and the wraparound services that we offer," said Jess Padilla, the CEO of CUMAC Food Pantry.
“We specifically serve LGBTQ+ people from all ages. From youth to seniors, offering diverse health support and social services...It’s not just about the money that could potentially close our doors, but their lives and feeling safe," said Elizabeth Schedl, the executive director of Hudson Pride Center.
A federal judge on Jan. 29 temporarily blocked a push from President Trump to pause federal funding while his administration conducts an across-the-board ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives. The Office of Management and Budget then rescinded the memo freezing spending on federal loans and grants the same day.