JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Food banks are in high demand as working Americans are once again trying to make ends meet. Rapidly rising rents, high gas prices and the high cost of food are just some of the reasons locals have hit hard times.
New4JAX spent some time Thursday at a local food pantry where organizers say they are seeing families who have never struggled before financially turn to them for help.
Administrators with Jewish Family and Community Services’ Max Block Food Pantry say the demand for food increased right around the same time gas prices started climbing.
RELATED: EXPLAINER: Why US inflation is so high, and when it may ease
News4JAX spoke with families in need who say, without resources like food banks, their families would go without.
“The cost of living is up, but wages aren’t up, so it’s a struggle,” said Jacksonville resident Samuel Moten.
Moten is being brutally honest about what all of America is experiencing: Inflation at a 40-year high, affecting everything from the price of gas, to food, to rent. On Thursday, he and others were at the Max Block Food Pantry, where they serve roughly 200 families a week — families who, for the first time ever, are turning to handouts to put food on the table.
“We’re seeing lots of new faces, people, with nicer cars, people not used to looking for help, but with the way gas has gone up, it’s all gone up,” said Karen McCants, a supervisor at the Max Block Food Pantry.
McCants says the Max Block Food Pantry is feeding the community on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week. She says the need for food has doubled, when compared to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The same scene is repeating across the nation, where food bank workers predict a difficult summer, trying to stay ahead of the demand.
″You see people in a really low place,” McCants said. “And they are so thankful because they would be without.”
“For me, I don’t get food stamps, I don’t have any benefits, I’m a single man, so without it, I probably wouldn’t be eating to be honest,” Moten said. “It’s very helpful, and we are grateful for that.”
If you are in a situation where you can donate nonperishable foods or hygiene products, organizers say that they need your donations and that now is the time to give — anticipating that inflation is here to stay for an unforeseeable amount of time.
Breaking down the increase in prices
Consumers are paying more for everything, confirmed by this week’s Consumer Price Index increase.
It’s up 9.1% in one year — the largest jump since 1981.
In the more narrow category of energy, it’s even worse. Costs exploded almost 42% in the past year — the largest jump in 42 years.
Some experts throw out the volatile costs of food and energy, arriving at what they call “core inflation.” That’s up 5.9% in the past 12 months.
But, consider the everyday items:
- Unleaded gasoline is up 61% in the past year.
- Men’s suits, jackets and coats, 25%,
- Airline tickets, 34%.
- Eggs 33%.
- Breakfast sausage, 14%.
Lawmakers can’t agree how to fix things. Both Democrats and Republicans are upset and pointing fingers.
“The big obstacle is Sen. Schumer continues to threaten to do a partisan reconciliation bill,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. “My hope is that, with inflation hitting 9.1% yesterday, that he will see the wisdom of not doing more reckless spending and taxing, which is exactly what the partisan bill proposes.
“The inflation we’re seeing is due to the pandemic and is due to the war. And we’re not done with this pandemic,” said White House economic adviser Cecilia Rouse. “We’re now seeing China is under threat of lockdown again. While we have made great progress on many aspects of the supply chain, we’re not done with this pandemic.”
A senior citizens group believes Social Security checks could grow by 10.5% next year, a cost of living increase. That amounts to an additional $175 on average.
The last time retirees got a double-digit boost? Back in the early 80′s — the last time inflation was this high.
”Figuring out ways to contain the crisis in energy, and for countries like the United States and Europe, of course, is taking concrete steps to wean ourselves off of these global oil markets,” said Heather Boushey with the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
Wages aren’t keeping up with inflation this year and don’t look like they will next year. A survey of businesses shows workers can expect a raise of more than 4% in 2023.
With inflation rising twice as much, that will amount to a pay cut.
”Yet another absolutely terrible, terrible inflation report. Inflation during the month of June shattered the experts predictions,” said Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell.
Inflation isn’t solely a domestic issue in America. The European Union now predicts inflation will peak at 8.3% this year — even higher than earlier forecasts.
The EU Commission points to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a key factor on rising prices.