“You guys are tough people out there,” said Jessica from the Inyo-Mono Advocates for Community Action (IMACA), nodding from her Zoom screen toward the handful of desert residents gathered inside the Tecopa Community Center on a cool October evening.
“And we’re hungry,” a local resident replied.
The exchange captured the tone of a town hall convened by citizen organizer Robin Flinchum — not in her capacity as board chair of the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District, but as a concerned neighbor — to discuss a growing crisis: the abrupt halt of food deliveries to Tecopa and surrounding rural communities following federal funding cuts to IMACA, the nonprofit that for years has supplied commodities to the Eastern Sierra and beyond.
A Long Drive from Bishop
Jessica explained that IMACA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, operates on grants and donations. But this year, federal food programs lost $500 million nationwide, and she reported IMACA’s local share dropped from $358,000 to just $35,000 so far this year.
That collapse in funding forced the organization to cut routes to remote areas like Tecopa, June Lake and Lee Vining, leaving just one functioning truck and a single box van to cover territory from Bridgeport to Lone Pine — hundreds of miles of mountain and desert road. Deliveries to Charleston View had already been cut and folded into Tecopa’s share.
“It costs $4,000 per trip to deliver to Tecopa,” Robin said.
IMACA’s two other vans, once essential for reaching far-flung towns, now sit broken down in Bakersfield, each needing $12,000 in repairs. Staff has been reduced from four full-time workers and a receptionist to two full-time and one part-time employee.
Locals questioned the fairness of cutting aid to the most geographically isolated corners of Inyo County — where fuel costs are high, medical services are distant, and many elderly residents live alone. “Rural cuts make no sense when we’re the ones most at risk,” one resident said.
Searching for Solutions
The conversation turned toward creative problem-solving. Could Tecopa residents organize their own pickup network, collecting food from Bishop or Pahrump? Could nearby Nye County food pantries help bridge the gap?
Jessica offered several paths:
- Partnering with Las Vegas food banks, since the region technically falls within their service area.
- Linking with Northern Nevada Feed America, which coordinates with IMACA and local grocers.
- Building local storage — similar to Darwin, where residents secured a grant for food sheds managed by the post office.
IMACA said they could deliver to Tecopa quarterly if a storage solution and local volunteer distribution were arranged.
Community members floated ideas for a fridge at the Community Center and using it as a pickup site. “We’ll collaborate and see what we can do,” Jessica said.
Organizing a United Voice
The meeting drew a mix of longtime residents and new faces, including Lance and Vanessa Hamrick, the new concessionaires at the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground, and several community leaders such as Susan Sorrels of Shoshone and Patrick Donnelly of the Center for Biological Diversity.
Sorrels proposed forming a citizens advisory committee — “a working committee so everyone speaks with one voice.” She initially said she would not chair the group, but later indicated to organizers she was willing to take on that role, pointing to the Nye County Coalition as a useful example.
Donnelly called on Inyo County to recognize its responsibility to the southeastern communities. “Most of the county’s resources go to the Owens Valley,” he said. “We must pressure the county to step up and fill the gap. The county is morally obligated.”
District 5 Supervisor Will Wadelton agreed the issue is urgent: “Finding transportation from Bishop is at the top of my list.”
Hunger by the Numbers
IMACA’s data shows just how fragile Tecopa’s food access has become. In February 2025, 32 residents were certified for the federal TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) commodities; by May, that number was 29, down from a high of 41 in March. Considering that the official resident count hovers around 150, it is a sizable part of the population.
Those figures likely undercount reality. Charleston View residents — officially part of the Tecopa distribution — often collect food for ten or more neighbors.
Gift cards distributed through IMACA’s Albertsons partnership have also dwindled: from 500 cards to just 150 this year, each worth $50.
Even small donations have fallen. Jessica said monthly bread contributions dropped from 850 pounds to 250 pounds, enough for “about ten banana bread boxes” for over 400 Inyo County residents.
The Path Ahead
As the evening ended, residents exchanged ideas, phone numbers, and offers to help.
IMACA promised to keep communication open and to work with any Tecopa group willing to travel to Bishop or take on storage or distribution. “Doors are always open,” Jessica said. “We’re happy to help you.”
Read more about the Trump food cuts at ProPublica.
Pahrump’s Food Pantry Schedules
(as of June 2024, via Tecopa Community Center)
Joy Divine Church
PLACE: 1161 Loop Rd, Pahrump NV
(775-479-5266)
TIMES:
Lunch: Every Friday 10am – 11:30am
Seniors: First Friday 10am – 11:30am
Public: Every Friday 10am – 11:30am
NOTES: *Lunch & prefilled pantry food bags are served at the door
United Methodist Church
PLACE: 1300 E HWY 372 Pahrump NV
(775-727-6767)
TIMES:
Mondays 9am – 11am
Tuesdays 4pm – 6pm
Faith Fellowship Church
PLACE: 2190 N. Blagg Rd, Pahrump NV
(775-727-9183)
TIME: Fridays: 9am sharp!
NOTES: *Food boxes are distributed via drive-thru, Please remain in your car and thank you for your understanding.
The Salvation Army
PLACE: 240 Dahlia St, Pahrump NV
(775-751-6181)
TIMES:
Regular: Tuesdays & Fridays 9am – 2pm
Golden Groceries: Tuesdays & Fridays 9am – 2pm
NOTES: *All are welcome, ID & Check in required.
*Pantry lists limited to ONE visit per month for all programs.
New Hope Fellowship
PLACE: 781 West St. Pahrump, NV
(775-751-1867)
TIMES: Wednesdays 9am – 12:30pm
NOTES: *TEFAP and Commodities distributed during regular pantry hours
Pahrump Community Church
PLACE: 1061 E. Wilson Rd Pahrump, NV
(775-727-5384)
TIMES: Mondays, Thursdays, & Fridays
9:30am-11:30am
NOTES: *Identification is Required
VFW
PLACE: 14651 Homestead Rd Pahrump, NV
(775-727-6072)
TIMES: Wednesdays 10:00am – 12:00pm
NOTES: *Veterans only – Military ID and proof of Pahrump residency required
Oasis Outreach
PLACE: 1061 E 2nd St Pahrump, NV
(775-727-7227)
TIMES: Every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 6:15am – 7:15am
NOTES: *Please remain in your vehicle, we wave you up when the boxes are ready.
Great Basin College
PLACE: 551 E. Calvada Blvd. Pahrump, NV
(775-327-5210)
TIMES: Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm
NOTES: after hours availability when classes are in session.
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