Editorial: Inflation adds to food insecurity, need to help

The Herald Bulletin, Anderson

At the end of May, enhanced benefits allotted to qualifying Hoosiers through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will expire.

Those benefits, designed to ease the pain of the pandemic, had been available since March 2020 to households meeting income requirements.

While the good news is that the pandemic that led to that SNAP enhancement appears to be waning, the bad news is that the cost of living has skyrocketed over the past two years.

The cost of groceries, gasoline and about anything else you can imagine is higher now than it was in March 2020.

These rising prices affect each of us, but they exact the greatest toll on families struggling to get by, those qualifying for help under the federal assistance program.

We can argue about how we got here and what steps should be taken next, but that won’t immediately help families struggling to put food on the table.

We can blame elected officials and demand action, but legislation can take months to enact. It’s hard to even pinpoint what public officials can do to right the ship, at least in the near future.

All the while, people are going hungry. Families are struggling to get by, and lower-income workers are seeing their paychecks quickly disappear.

In times like this, the giving nature of Hoosiers can help sustain those who need help the most. And the needs are plentiful.

According to Feeding America, over 60 million people visited a food bank in 2020. More than 38 million people, including 12 million children, are unsure where they might find their next meal. The struggle has been particularly great in communities of color, and the situation has gotten worse as a result of the pandemic, according to Feeding America.

Making matters worse is that many households struggling to put food on the table don’t qualify for federal nutrition assistance programs.

Those who don’t qualify for assistance shouldn’t be deterred from asking for help. First-time food bank users might feel it’s shameful, but feeding their families is more important.

There are 11 Feeding America-sponsored food banks in or immediately adjoining Indiana. The organization accepts financial donations and is in need of volunteers.

Many local churches also feed the hungry, and they are in need of donations. A quick internet search will find local organizations that provide people with food, clothing and housing assistance.

We might not be able to give much, but as a collective, our donations can make a tangible difference.

Predictions about the future of our economy are mixed, but it’s hard to find many who are overly optimistic, at least for the short-term.

Many of us did our part to fight COVID-19 by wearing masks, getting vaccinated and adjusting our normal routines to keep each other safe. We should keep that community spirit alive now by making donations and volunteering our time to help those in need.