Philabundance warns inflation causing more food insecurity
PHILADELPHIA -- First came the coronavirus pandemic and now high inflation. Food banks are seeing a major increase in need. Philabundance, the area's largest hunger relief organization, says it's distributing more food than ever before amid skyrocketing prices.
Across the country, charities say there is a rise in the number of people needing help. Inflation has priced people out.
"The prices of food are so high. They're going up higher every day," one woman said.
The need for food is rising in Pennsylvania and South Jersey.
"Pre-pandemic, we were serving 90,000 people a week," Philabundance CEO Loree Jones Brown said. "Now, we are serving 140,000 people a week."
Jones Brown says the reality is many families are food insecure and inflation isn't helping.
Philabundance, which is the largest hunger relief organization in the Delaware Valley, works with about 350 agency partners, like churches and community centers, to provide food to families in the area.
"What our agency partners are telling us is that over the last several weeks with inflation prices going so high that more and more people are coming to access food," Jones Brown said.
In June, prices at the grocery store rose more than 12%. The largest one-year increase since 1979.
This is making it difficult to buy food, let alone get gas.
"Well now, we are in a situation where people are going to the stores and saying everything go up," Jones Brown said. "Milk prices go up. Proteins so chicken, turkey, the basic things that people purchase have all gone up."
And since the higher prices are straining budgets, many families are forced to make difficult decisions.
"We often know families are choosing between paying utilities or buying food or paying rent and buying food," Jones Brown said.
The hunger relief organization hopes to drive hunger out in the community one box at a time.
"We invite everybody in this area, everybody watching this to join us in this cause," Jones Brown said.
If you need help finding food in your neighborhood or if you want to donate to the cause, click here.