Every Thursday, Chris Manno, 57, volunteers at the Lifeworks Project's River City Bread Basket food pantry in Waynesboro, Va., near the Blue Ridge Mountains. She then joins the line herself, relying on the pantry as her federal food benefits were cut by about $300 a month this summer. Rising grocery bills driven by tariffs and war, combined with government budget cuts enacted in part by President Trump's signature tax-cut-and-spending law, are pushing struggling families toward food pantries.
An NBC News survey of 48 of the largest food banks found nearly three-quarters reported increases in visitors over the past year. Feeding America's president and COO Linda Nageotte noted food insecurity levels are the highest since the Great Recession, with prices rising faster than incomes. The surge coincides with midterm elections that could serve as a referendum on Mr. Trump's economic stewardship.
Food banks have shifted from emergency lifelines to essential social service infrastructure. Richard Le Ber, president and CEO of the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, reported serving about 20 percent more families this August than last. In Albuquerque, N.M., 29-year-old Jacqueline Marquez waited 90 minutes in a drive-through line for groceries, reflecting how distant geopolitics increasingly dictate local financial realities.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing