MARSHALL — A halt in federal funding has shut down refugee resettlement services in Marshall, United Community Action Partnership’s executive director said this week.

The program, which helped refugees find housing and get settled in the Marshall area, closed down “quite abruptly,” about a month ago, said UCAP Executive Director Deb Brandt. UCAP had received funding for refugee resettlement through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which was one of the national agencies affected when the Trump administration suspended funding for foreign aid programs earlier this year.

Shutting down refugee resettlement services affected three UCAP employees based out of the Marshall office. Those employees were moved into other positions, Brandt said.

Brandt said it’s not certain whether UCAP will be able to offer refugee resettlement services in the future. But despite uncertainties surrounding federal funding, UCAP’s Head Start program, food shelves and other services are still running.

“We are here to provide essential services to families,” Brandt said. UCAP’s funding comes from a variety of sources, from state and federal funding to local support. “We’re hoping they see that things like emergency housing are essential services.”

Refugee resettlement was only one of the services UCAP provided in a 12-county region. Services that are still up and running range from food and family services, to home and energy assistance and community transit.

Brandt said UCAP has received federal funding for its Head Start program. Head Start focuses on early childhood development and families. Funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plays a major role for Head Start services in UCAP’s service area, Brandt said.

“In regards to food shelves, we have not seen any impact at this time,” Brandt said. Food shelves like the Kitchen Table in Marshall receive a majority of their funding from community support, she said.

“We are very grateful for the generous contributions from area communities,” Brandt said. In addition to those contributions, UCAP also works together with area grocery and food service businesses to rescue food that could otherwise go to waste. Last year, UCAP and Marshall area businesses rescued over 200,000 pounds of food for area families, Brandt said.

Brandt said this month, UCAP’s goal is to raise $50,000 to support area food shelves.

“We have seen an increase in (food shelf) usage, with the increase of grocery costs,” Brandt said. “It’s tough for families who work hard and struggle making ends meet.”

The Kitchen Table Food Shelf in Marshall serves an average of 450 families a month, she said. In 2024, more than 14,000 individuals were served by the Marshall food shelf.

In spite of unknowns with federal funding, Brandt said UCAP staff were concentrating on helping area families with important resources for food, housing and more.

“I think we just keep focusing on why we are here,” she said.