Inequality

With rocketing inflation and the ongoing supply chain crunch, the average American household might feel their budget slightly tightened when it comes to buying groceries and daily necessities. But food banks and pantries, which feed the most vulnerable groups in the country, are also feeling the pinch. 

Feeding America, which operates a network of food banks around the country, says it is seeing prices as much as three times what they were just nine months ago, and it is affecting their budgets.

However, while costs are rising, more people are relying on food banks because of inflation. During the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a fifty percent uptick in the number of people seeking help from the food bank, reaching 46 million, according to Feeding America.

A resident in New York City called Aura, who went to the pantry of Feeding Westchester two months ago, said that there was not enough food to distribute. She had to wait for an hour in the line and when it came to the middle of the line there was already nothing left.

“During the pandemic, our food security division had a lot of challenges providing food because of the rising demand,” a staff member at New York Cares, a volunteer organization based in New York City, said. 

“We are running robust fundraising right now, but it’s not enough. At one point there was always a long line at our pantry in Queens,” the staff member said. “We wanted to open new pantries across the city, and as far as I know, the plan was stranded because our budget was affected by the rising inflation.”

But inflation and rising demand aren’t the only obstacles preventing food banks from giving out help to people in need. Like many other organizations and businesses, food banks are also experiencing rising dropouts in staff and increasing labor shortages.

Carmen Boon, vice president of external affairs at Food Bank For New York City, said that the shortage of labor, especially of truck drivers and warehouse staff, is now the organization’s biggest impediment in providing services.

“For the past six months, there was a rising drop-off rate among truck driver and warehouse staff while we are trying to meet increasing demand,” Boon said, “Now we have fewer staff than we did in 2019.”

Boon said that he is foreseeing even bigger pressure for the months to come, even if COVID-19 gets more under control and they can get more staff, because families previously unaware of food pantries, food banks or other resources, now become aware and will continue relying on those resources.

“We know from previous crises in the city – such as Hurricane Sandy – that the demand will never decrease back to pre-crisis levels,” Boon said. 

Theodore P. Stank, professor of logistics and supply chain management at the University of Tennessee, says that while uncertainties still remain with the new COVID-19 variant, he expects the pressure on food banks will remain until at least next summer as inflation pressure might run throughout 2022. 

“Food banks are usually more vulnerable to inflation, as they are usually running non-profit and usually rely on donations,” Stank said, “but unfortunately, even if the supply chain pressure eases and more truck drivers are hired, the increasing wages will keep prices elevated for the food banks in the coming year.”