Florida Families Are Feeling the Squeeze and Farm Share Is Seeing It Firsthand

NEW RESEARCH SHOWS HOW RISING COSTS ARE PUTTING PRESSURE ON FLORIDA FAMILIES.

As Florida’s largest independent food bank, Farm Share sees the impact of rising costs firsthand. Every week at our food distributions, more families are showing up for help.

New research from the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality finds that 72% of Floridians are struggling to afford at least one of four basic needs, including housing, food, health care, or child care, compared with 70% nationally.

For Florida families, food is part of that squeeze. The study found that 35% of Floridians are cost-burdened by food, while 39% face a housing cost burden. Health care and child care add another layer of pressure.

When rent, medical bills and child care all come out of the same paycheck, food is often one of the few expenses families have to cut back on.

That is increasingly visible at Farm Share distributions. Many of the people coming for assistance are employed Floridians who are working hard but still finding it difficult to make ends meet. Farm Share helps bridge that gap by rescuing fresh, nutritious food and distributing it through community partners and direct food distributions.

Farm Share was founded in Homestead in 1991 and has grown from a local food rescue effort into Florida’s largest independent food bank. Today, we continue to partner with farmers to rescue food that otherwise would go to waste and then donate it to families in need.

We are working to make sure no Floridian goes hungry, but we are also facing rising costs and can’t meet the rising need alone. Higher fuel and broker fees have doubled our food acquisition costs. If these costs continue to rise, we’re at risk of bringing in half the volume of food we normally do.

That could mean less food reaching the families and communities who count on us.

We’re doing everything we can to keep food moving, but we can’t do it alone.

There are several ways to be part of the solution:

• Donate: Help Farm Share bring more nutritious food to Florida families.
• Volunteer: Help sort, pack, and distribute food in communities across Florida.
• Partner with us: Businesses, organizations, and community groups can contact Farm Share to learn about partnership opportunities at [email protected].
• Spread the word: Follow Farm Share on social media at @farmsharefl, share and reshare our posts, and help us spread the word about ways to support Florida families.

And if you or someone you know is struggling to put food on the table, Farm Share is here for you. Find an upcoming food distribution or a food pantry near you.

Learn more and get involved at FarmShare.org.