Food assistance programs seeing more demand in midst of holiday season
As many families get ready to gather around tables for the holidays, more people are in need of help to put food on that table.
Local food banks say high prices for gas and food are driving more people to use their services.
That's the case at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle on Blair Drive in Raleigh.
The two biggest feeding charities in the Triangle say demand has risen 20 to 30 percent since before the pandemic.
Some of that is due to growth, but more of it is due to inflation.
As families spend more on everything from rent to gas, their food budget takes a hit. And charities are straining to keep up with the need.
The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle both serve food pantries in different counties. Jessica Whichard with the food bank says demand has risen sharply.
"We and our partner agencies, the pantries in the soup kitchens that we supply with food, are seeing incredible need this time of year," Whichard said. "Over pre-COVID levels. Some folks are still reporting about a 30 percent increase in people who are needing the hunger relief system."
Melvin Acosta with the Inter-Faith food Shuttle says they’ve seen a 21 percent rise in demand in just the past year.
"Some of them are not people who come in every week to request," Acosta said. "They're coming like one-offs, 'hey I need help this week,' or 'I need help for the next two weeks.'"
Hunger is a longstanding problem in this state. According to the nonprofit Feeding America, about 1.5 million people in North Carolina were food insecure last year. One-fifth of them were children. That’s almost certain to be higher now, as costs for everything have risen.
"Your rent is a fixed item that you're going to have to pay," Acosta said. "Your mortgage is a fixed item. Utilities will be fixed items. So when you look at your budget, one of the things that has variables is going to be your food costs."
Acosta said cash donations are down. The nonprofit is having to spend more to buy food, too, so inflation’s been a double hit. He’s hoping the holidays might turn that around.
"A dollar makes a difference in somebody's life," Acosta said. "Because we can provide about four meals for $1. So anything that they can donate, they're going to be making an impact on some family that is in need today."
"We're seeing folks saying that this is going to make the difference for their holiday season," Whichard said. "And really make sure that they're able to have some hope be able to bring people together and sit at a table together."
