DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — WPTV wants to thank everyone who came out to Tuesday’s Let's Hear It event at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach.
It was there that we spoke to Ruth Mageria, the executive director of CROS Ministries, who said federal budget cuts have led to a funding shortfall. It's now unclear how many people they'll be able to serve who face food insecurity.
CROS Ministries has been feeding those in need since 1978.
"The face of hunger has changed," Mageria said. "Those (we serve) do not have homes or are hungry, but the majority of the people who are coming to our food priorities have homes, have jobs."
But this year might be their most challenging year so far. Federal budget cuts threaten their ability to keep up with demand.
"We have a $2.1 million budget. Ten percent of that budget comes from government funding that we will not receive," Mageria said.
We listened to her on Tuesday as she laid out the struggles that the organization faces.
She said that in 2024, CROS Ministries served 121,000 people, 30% were children and 15% were seniors.
Mageria said a cash shortfall in 2025 could seriously impact three of their key programs:
- Food pantries, which operate at 10 locations
- Caring Kitchen, which delivers meals to the homebound
- Gleaning program, where volunteers recover surplus fruits and vegetables from local farms
"Since November of last year, November 2024 through mid-May, to just the end of May this year, we've harvested close to 450,000 pounds of fresh produce," Mageria said.
Right now, Mageria said her top concern is figuring out how to close the funding gap to keep feeding those who rely on them.
CROS Ministries serves the hungry in Palm Beach and Martin counties.
