Food Banks Across America Report Record Demand And Record Shortages

Food pantries and food banks are a key economic indicator for tracking poverty levels and financial instability in the US, and in the past few months they have been ringing alarm bells.

Stagflationary pressures have all but wiped out the savings of the average American and driven up credit card debt to historic highs.  Only in the past month have credit spending and debt levels begun to slide, but this is more a sign that consumers are tapped out rather than a sign of a return to normalcy.  High prices are slowly but surely overwhelming lower wage workers in particular.  The average living wage across most US states is around $16 an hour; over 30% of American workers make less than $15 an hour.

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Food pantries usually don’t offer enough supplies to fully feed a family, but they do supplement your existing income by adding a week or two worth of sustenance per month.  Many people will visit more than a couple food pantries at a time in order to stock enough for their families.  The problem with price inflation is that it tends to directly affect and reduce the amount of donations that pantries receive and the amount of food they can give away.

In the past month there has been a steady stream of reports from pantries across the US stating that they are now hitting record high demand and record low supply.  From New York to Wisconsin to Ohio to Missouri to Florida to Arkansas to California and beyond, pantries are running out.  On top of that, it’s the middle of summer – The busiest time for food banks and the Salvation Army is during the winter holidays.- READ MORE