Tampa Bay food banks are facing a rise in demand as donations from individuals fall, with charities warning that their supplies are under growing pressure ahead of the holiday season.
Hope Villages of America in Clearwater usually helps between 125 and 150 families each day. Senator Nick DiCeglie, who visited the organisation, said its food stocks were running dangerously low.
“Our shelves are getting really low, our bins are nearly empty,” Mr DiCeglie said.
Clearwater mayor Bruce Rector also visited the charity on Thursday, urging residents to support families struggling to afford groceries.
Tampa Bay food banks prepare for greater demand
Metropolitan Ministries said corporate support had remained steady, but donations from individuals had declined. The charity has also recorded a 38 per cent increase in the number of elderly residents seeking help.
Many of those older people rely on fixed incomes which have failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living, the organisation said.
The pressure comes as new requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme, known as SNAP, take effect in Florida. The changes expand work-related conditions for some recipients, meaning people who do not meet the rules could lose their benefits.
Florida’s Department of Children and Families says recipients who are subject to the requirements may need to work, volunteer or take part in the SNAP Employment and Training programme for 80 hours a month. Those who fail to meet the conditions can lose their benefits for a period of time.
Food banks say it is too early to determine whether the changes will lead to a further increase in demand for emergency food assistance.
Metropolitan Ministries is preparing its holiday tent programme, which expects to support about 30,000 families during Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is seeking donations including stuffing, tinned fruit, soup, rice, cranberry sauce, potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and dessert mixes.
Hope Villages of America is also appealing for non-perishable food and volunteers. Its Clearwater food distribution centre provides groceries to households once a month, with supplies intended to last for three to four days.
The centre is open from Monday to Friday between 12.30pm and 3.30pm, with extended hours until 6.30pm on Tuesdays. No appointment is required.
Both organisations are continuing to monitor demand as the new SNAP rules are implemented and the holiday period approaches.
