This story represents a visual compilation of millions of dollars in funding cuts to a program that sends U.S.-produced meat, dairy, eggs and produce to food banks and other organizations across the country. After obtaining data from the USDA, we wanted to put those funding cuts into context. We chose to visualize the canceled deliveries as trucks on the road, each truck representing a real delivery that never made it to communities. Since a semi truck on a highway is something that gives people a tangible frame of reference, the visualization allowed our readers to feel viscerally what was lost as they scrolled through the seemingly endless highway. One by one the trucks fade away, representing the deliveries that never materialized. We paired that with human stories and photos from people who use food banks, many of whom told us they noticed less protein and fresh fruit at pantries.
