With rising food prices in 2022, more people are asking for help from the Utah Food Bank, but program leaders say fewer people are donating food to the cause.
Donations make up a significant portion of the emergency food supplies managed by the Utah Food Bank, and with higher costs affecting donors, it means less food on hand even as needs increase and more people need help, said Ginette Bott, Utah Food Bank President.
Combined with higher gas prices, which make UFB trucks more expensive to deliver goods, the combination made for a more challenging year across the country, Bott said.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the state’s labor market and economy, more people need help to stay hungry, and demand has increased significantly since 2020, Bott said.
“We’re seeing our numbers grow and we’re seeing them increase across the country. It’s not just here in Utah,” Bott said.
Families hardest hit by COVID-19 are often still struggling in 2022, now also dealing with inflation and higher costs, Bott said.
“It’s almost a double whammy and they didn’t really have a chance to get back on their feet,” Bott said. “And then all of a sudden you’re paying $5 for gas, you’re paying 30 to 40 percent more for something as simple as eggs, and the budget doesn’t increase, but everything else does.”
About 13% of Utahns need some type of food assistance, state managers say. And many of those who use UFB’s services are also donors, with some exchanging one food for another when they come. But rising costs also make it harder to do, Bott said.
“Discretionary spending in anybody’s budget seems to be changing a little bit, so people don’t have as much money to donate,” Bott said. “So we’re seeing an increase in the amount of time people are volunteering and giving us their time because it’s probably the easiest thing for them to do. Some go to the pantry and share food, but when the cost of food for families is as high as our food distribution is, our food donations dwindle.”
The country’s COVID-19 levels continue to decline and have largely leveled off over the past two years, but demand has not declined.
UFB distributed more than 70 million pounds of food in 2020, but managers expected demand to decline over time. Instead, it handed out £68.5m in 2021, and picked up the pace in 2022.
UFB is accessible to everyone and has distribution centers across the country. The Southern Distribution Center is the closest UFB center to Southern Utah. Utahns can also call 211, which will direct the caller to food assistance.
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