Food drive at Falcons game

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Sunday's food drive during the Falcons game here at Mass Mutual Center comes at the right place at the right time.

We are learning more about federal funding cuts, and now we know for sure that food pantries and food aid programs will take a huge hit.

Here's the domino effect of across-the-board funding cuts.

A program known as women, Infants, and Children or WIC will lose funding. The program offers food vouchers to young moms and children.

But it will have to drop 600-thousand people by the end of the year.

That means more people will turn to local food banks.

However, food banks will lose funding as well.

So between those two funding cuts and food prices going up, experts say thousands of people will go hungry this year, and that could be devastating to the elderly and children.

Several local food pantries already experienced temporary shutdowns in 2012 because of a food shortage.

So they are now relying on donations to feed the hungry.

Fans can bring non-perishable items to the game. All donations will go to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.