Inflation is easing up a bit, which is good news. But food insecurity is still plaguing North Texans, and food banks are struggling to keep up with the need.
“Dallas County is the fifth highest food insecure county in the country,” says Jeff Smith, Senior Manager of Communications at the North Texas Food Bank. “It’s really surprising."
The NTFB says it’s seen a 17% increase in need in the past several months. That’s more than they saw in the early stages of COVID, during mass layoffs. Before the pandemic, the food bank dished out an average of 7.3 million meals a month. Right now, that number is about 12.3 million.
“It’s kind of that perfect storm where a lot of those programs that were helping people are sunsetting, and yet inflation is hitting our neighbors. It’s costing a lot more. That’s driven a lot of people in North Texas to look for food assistance," Smith says.
Food banks are being squeezed for resources, Smith says, and at the same time, donations are falling. So, they're asking for all the support they can get. Smith says the NTFB is in constant need of volunteers and donations.
You can find out more about how to help here.
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