It seems like Inflation is top of everyone’s minds for these days. The latest numbers show prices rose a little more than seven and a half percent in October. But anyone who has been to the grocery store knows the cost of food outpaces those numbers. APR grad student reporter Cori Yonge visited a south Alabama food pantry. She explains what this might mean for the less fortunate this holiday season.
One after another volunteers at Baldwin County’s Prodisee Pantry accompany clients to their cars. They push grocery carts filled to the brim with collard greens, sweet potatoes, and other holiday staples. Our visit was just before Thanksgiving. The line of people waiting for help curls out the warehouse door and along the building.
Volunteers at Baldwin County’s Prodisee Pantry push grocery carts filled to the brim with collard greens, sweet potatoes, and other holiday staples to waiting cars.
It’s a routine repeated weekly not just during the holidays.
“We've been averaging about 150 to 200 families traditionally and this last week we've climbed over the 200 mark,” says Deann Servos. She’s executive director at Prodisee Pantry. Servos says the cost for the pantry to fill a basket with healthy food has increased 60 percent since 2019 making it more difficult to meet a growing demand.
“So we anticipate the same this week and through the rest of the year and we'll see if that trend continues into January,” Servos observes. “I mean as long as grocery costs remain main high and gas continues the fluctuate over three dollars, it really does impact families that are living paycheck to paycheck or our seniors who are on a fixed income.”
Susan Wellman agrees. She says her social security check isn’t enough anymore to cover groceries. She carpooled to the pantry with her neighbor.
“We’re going to put mine on this side. We share the ride here it saves gas money,” said Wellman. “Things are hard for everybody. It’s not selective to one person. People that are working are still struggling.”
Food shoppers aren’t the only ones feeling the inflation pinch. Prodisee Pantry is also seeing higher prices for staples like eggs, bread, and dairy. These costs are climbing faster than other consumer goods.
“To get the eggs to get the bread to the final destination is going to cost more money,” said James Larriviere. He’s an Associate Professor of Economics at Mobile’s Spring Hill College. He blames a number of factors like labor and fuel costs for the ongoing price hikes.
“You know, we have the war in the Ukraine. The Ukraine also produces a lot of food stuffs,” he said. “And so when those things don't get to the states, when input costs go up, it just causes the prices of the bread and the meat the beef the eggs to increase and that's what we're seeing now and it's really a supply chain phenomena.”
“Those rising food prices are a double whammy for Prodisee Pantry. Not only does it cost the nonprofit more to buy food. But, Servos says as individuals feel the squeeze of inflation they’re less likely to donate canned goods during local food drives.
“Through the end of October this year we had $238,000 worth of in-kind contributions,” said Servos. “This same time period in 2021 we were at $706,000 worth of in-kind.
So we're seeing a $500,000 reduction in-kind contributions.”
That reduction is easy to see in the warehouse where volunteers fill carts from half-full pallets. Servos says despite inflation, the pantry will distribute almost a million pounds of groceries this year. Just like home consumers, she’ll hunt for bargains to cover the decreasing donations. And she’ll work around the supply chain issue by buying excess produce from local farmers. Servos encourages south Alabama residents to look no further than their own yards to find ways to pitch in.
“This time of year the local community can help,” Servos suggested. “If they have Satsuma trees and lemon trees that are just bursting with fruit, harvest it now. Bring it in. Bring it in buckets and boxes. Leave it at our doors. We don't care because that's locally sourced fresh citrus and it's delicious and it's healthy and when your trees are overloaded it's way too much for you. It's free to us and it's free to us to give away.”
James Larivierre at Spring Hill College says he doesn’t have a crystal ball. But, he expects food prices to remain volatile as the Federal Reserve works to get a handle on rising costs.
“They don’t want inflation to continue,” he said. “They want to bring it down to that 2 percent level. That’s going to take time. And so instead of letting off interest rate increases, more than likely, they’re going to continue the course and get the prices down but it’s going to take some time.”
And with less than a month until Christmas, both the food pantry and clients like Susan Wellman will need to keep an eye on budgets.
“Between the gas prices, rent prices, food prices, there are no extras for Christmas this year,” Wellman conceded. “It’s just going to be a simple Christmas and I’m sure it’s going to be that way for a lot of people in this community.”
Servos says, even though resources are tighter, Prodisee Pantry and its volunteers will continue feeding Baldwin County families. Tapping into emergency reserves as necessary. Their goal, to make sure people like Susan Wellman don’t go hungry.
