Key facts
- Rising gas prices are increasing demand for food assistance and delivery costs for food banks.
- Focus: Hope's monthly food box deliveries to seniors have increased by over 60%.
- Central California Food Bank's diesel costs rose 61%, redirecting funds from meals to fuel.
- Millions have lost food stamp benefits due to changes in federal assistance.
High gas prices are straining food banks and increasing the need for assistance among lower-income individuals across the United States. In Detroit, Tonya King, a grandmother of six, expressed her gratitude for a food box from the nonprofit Focus: Hope, which helps her household manage rising grocery costs and other necessities she can no longer afford. Food banks nationwide are facing increased delivery costs due to soaring diesel prices, while also seeing higher demand from struggling Americans affected by inflation and cuts to federal food assistance programs like SNAP.
Central California Food Bank reported a 61% increase in diesel spending, equating to a quarter-million meals lost to fuel costs. Retailers are also shifting transportation expenses to food banks, and some, like the Greater Chicago Food Depository, are opting for cheaper food items to offset budget strains. The rising cost of living is a central concern for voters in the upcoming midterm elections, with many citing it as the most important factor in their decision.