The Cost of Eating

I’m frequently asked by friends and others I meet whether Community Action House has seen an increase in need over the past few years due to the economic downturn. The short answer is always “yes,” but I usually struggle a bit to explain with clarity the extent to which the increase in demand is related to local economic issues. We know the dots connect, just not exactly how directly. To be sure, there have been ways that the economic downturn has impacted all of us, yet if you haven’t actually lost your job, there’s a chance you’ve been able to weather the downturn up to this point without a dramatic effect on your lifestyle and consumption patterns.

But now that’s changed. Substantial inflationary increases in basic needs, in particular food, but also gasoline and other essential commodities, have hit all of us, but especially those already struggling to make ends meet. A recent AP article run in the Holland Sentinel (“Shoppers face reality of rising food prices,” April 4, 2008) mentions that we are experiencing “the worst case of food inflation in nearly 20 years … The average price of a loaf of bread has increased 32 percent since January 2005. In the last year alone, the average price for a carton of eggs has increased almost 50 percent.”

Families who were already struggling to pay for basic needs – groceries, gas to get to work, rent, utilities, and so forth, will be hit by these price increases the hardest. Families that already relied on food stamps and perhaps a food pantry visit on occasion will be hard pressed to find a way to absorb any increase in food expenses. The USDA estimates that a family of four will be spending an average of $80 more per month for groceries than one year ago. Some low income families may be able to find a place to cut elsewhere to find that $80, but a good number won’t, and Community Action House is committed to providing help to those families. (Coincidentally, $80 is about the retail value of the food a family of four is provided when they receive food pantry assistance at CAH.)

I anticipate that I will continue to be asked frequently about whether we’ve been busier lately at Community Action House. I have little doubt my answer will continue to be “yes,” but it will now be easier to connect the dots in explaining why this is the case.

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If you’re convinced like I am that more people will need help with meeting their family’s food needs over the coming months, perhaps you’d be interested in helping to organize a food drive at your church, school or organization. Call Jim at our northside office (738-1170) and he’d be more than happy to help you set it up.

Mark Kornelis