Food Distribution Sites Helping Families Put Food On The Table This Thanksgiving
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – As inflation prices soar, food pantries are running low. And some people who planned to have a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving are questioning if they can actually afford it. To help those in need, food distribution sites are popping up throughout the county.
Coffee, rice, spaghetti – these are just some of the grocery items Miami-Dade County Commissioner Manolo Reyes handed out Tuesday. He surprised low-income seniors, giving out 400 turkeys and more than 700 bags of groceries.
"Oh! I'm too happy. A little bit too happy," said Isabel Tay when she received her turkey.
Because of inflation, many people didn't know if they were going to have Thanksgiving dinner.
"People don't realize the need we have in this city," said Reyes.
Margarita Machado lives on a fixed income and said she probably wouldn't have been able to afford a turkey.
"A lot of the people here are low income, and it makes a huge difference whether they eat or not. It sure does," she said.
The price hike on cost of goods is also taking a major toll on food pantries.
"It's costing much more to bring in a trailer load from across the country. Not only is the food costing more but the transportation is costing more so that's impacting our ability to purchase food and get it out to the community," said Paco Velez, president and CEO of Feeding South Florida.
Velez said the pandemic hit hard and now inflation is adding another layer for families to deal with.
"I can't imagine what our families are going through trying to bring in enough food for their kids," he explained.
"They cannot purchase as much groceries as before that's why it is our duty to come and help them as much as we can," said Reyes.