Long story short, food prices remain high, and pandemic-era assistance is drying up. These combined forces are wreaking havoc on families stuck in the margins.
Families are struggling with daily expenses In a recent survey from Save the Children Survey families reported food prices as their most problematic day-to-date expense. This placed food prices ahead of housing, healthcare, and even fuel costs.
Food assistance programs have been scaled back Families are feeling the effects of scaled back aid programs that were a lifeline during the pandemic. More than 4 in 10 families who had received previous benefits were skipping meals—double the rate from a year ago—according to research from August.
Hunger rates have continued to go up
According to multiple measures, hunger rates are on the rise. The U.S. Census Bureau noted 26.5 million Americans reporting food insecurity at the last count (May 2023)—the highest number since December 2020, representing a 4.4% increase from the previous year.
Together, we’ll continue Filling in the Blanks
We’ve served a massive 1 million meals to our community this year alone. We’re grateful to have such a significant impact and this is a big victory for our communities over food insecurity, but we know the work must continue.
We’ll continue bringing new solutions—like school-based pantries and our brand-new mobile pantry—to the local fight against hunger because we know we can count on you. Lock in your support with a sustaining gift today. Become a monthly donor at fillingintheblanks.org.
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