Low-income families feel brunt of continued high food prices

Helping Harvest is on the frontline to help struggling families stretch their food budgets

Shoppers are not getting a much-needed break from high food prices anytime soon. The January 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, released last week, revealed that prices for housing, food, and transportation continue to rise. Food prices, in particular, have been a major concern, with increases in staples like eggs, meats, and dairy. Egg prices influenced the report, with the average cost of a dozen eggs increasing by more than 50% from the previous year because of Bird Flu concerns.

The impact of these rising prices is especially hard on low-income families. They are finding it increasingly difficult to afford not only enough food but also nutritious options. According to the CPI report, food prices jumped by 2.5% year-over-year, which means families are paying more for basics like bread, milk, and vegetables. When combined with higher housing costs and transportation expenses, these rising prices leave many struggling to make ends meet. Low-income households are often forced to choose between paying for rent, gas, or groceries, which leads to inadequate nutrition and a less stable home life.

At Helping Harvest’s low-cost charitable grocery store program, we're seeing firsthand the impact of these higher food prices. Many of our members are turning to the program to save money on groceries that would otherwise be out of their reach. We've had 470 shopping visits from members so far this year and welcomed 18 new members to the program.

One young mother of three, who relies on both Helping Harvest and local food pantries, expressed her gratitude to our team during a shopping visit in early February. She shared that without these programs, she simply wouldn’t be able to feed her children. "Between Helping Harvest and the food pantries, I can make it work," she said. "But I honestly don’t know what I’d do if these programs weren’t here."

Helping Harvest's shelves are bare in some places due to high demand from our members.

The demand for assistance is so high that Helping Harvest’s shelves are being hit hard. To continue meeting this need, we anticipate spending $70,000 on food for our program this year. We need your help to ensure that families can continue to access the support they so desperately need. A small donation can go a long way to helping us achieve our mission of ensuring local low-income families have enough food and nutrition. We remain committed to helping our vulnerable neighbors!