Local food pantries are in danger of running out of food

FORT LAUDERDALE – The Salvation Army in Fort Lauderdale is now asking the general public for assist with donations.  

“We’re in dire need of food donations. Bring a can, bring a small pack of hamburgers, bring something,” Stephen Long, Salvation Army Major and Area Commander pleaded.

While food pantries are struggling to fill cabinets, food banks are additionally going through related points.

“The rising food prices are really causing a huge logistical and supply chain issue across the country, as fuel prices go up, transportation goes up,” Paco Velez, Feeding South Florida CEO informed CBS 4.

Feeding South Florida is a component of the Feeding America Network, and in April it was estimated inside a 6-month interval that 55% of its food banks reported donations have been down.  The non-profit is asking for cash presents to proceed to purchase the identical quantity of food.

Farmshare can also be asking for cash and donations to maintain up.  It tells us it is anticipating to return to pre-pandemic ranges of food. Multiple federal applications had elevated food assist throughout the peak of the pandemic in order that in 2020 it was receiving over 18 million kilos of food, it has been happening, now in 2022 it is about 10 million kilos, and projected to be solely 5-7 million in 2023 for Miami-Dade County.  

“With COVID we’ve had enough medical crisis, but to add to that hunger and the lack of nutritional value, we don’t want to see that happen,” Long added.  

While meats and milk might run out early throughout food distribution on the Fort Lauderdale facility, Long mentioned he was hopeful that folks would come to their assist quickly.