Widespread chaos. Confusion. Whiplash. That just about sums up the last few days for organizations that rely on federal funding, which President Trump attempted to freeze Monday.
What came next was a clusterfork, to use a technical term. On Tuesday, US District Judge Loren AliKhan blocked the freeze; on Wednesday, the Trump administration rescinded the memo ordering the freeze. Later the same day, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt tweeted that the freeze is still “in full force and effect” and “will be rigorously implemented.”
Locally, hundreds of organizations have been rocked by the news cycle. Billions of federal dollars are expected to flow through San Francisco this fiscal year, according to USASpending, going to organizations including the SF AIDS Foundation, the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco State University, and Bay Area school bus provider Zum.
Meals on Wheels San Francisco CEO Jennifer Steele told Gazetteer SF she “was shocked, and then a lot of confusion followed.” Her immediate concern was for the thousands of senior citizens in the area who depend on the federally-funded Meals on Wheels for their daily nutritional needs.
“Any disruption to funding puts essential services at risk, and the uncertainty was incredibly stressful for those we serve,” she said. “The initial freeze raised more questions than answers, so we moved quickly to gather information and advocate for the continuation of these critical resources.”
Steele described the last few days as being “unpredictable,” with her team working “tirelessly to assess the potential impact, advocate for clarity, and reassure the seniors we serve that we will do everything in our power to continue providing meals.”
“We don’t know what the future will bring,” she said, adding that Meals on Wheels is still focused on “ensuring uninterrupted services, regardless of changing circumstances.”
Jeanette Peach, a spokesperson for The California Academy of Sciences, told Gazetteer via email on Thursday they’re still working to collect all the details “amidst the changing landscape.”
The SF AIDS Foundation did not respond to our request for comment, but a post on its site from Tuesday described the “deeply concerning” decision and cautioned that there “is surely more to come in the days and months ahead.”
A number of city agencies, including San Francisco’s public health, environment, parks, and other departments, all receive federal funding, but City Attorney spokesperson Jen Kwart told Gazetteer by email that since the “situation is fluid,” it’s “premature to discuss any potential impacts to specific operations or services.”
The City Attorney’s office is “certainly evaluating our legal options to protect City funds and ensure continuity of City operations and services,” she said.
