Local food pantry feeling the impact of the inflation, supply chain crisis

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — The supply chain crisis and inflation are having a major impact on our everyday lives when it comes to getting food and other household items we need.

As prices continue to surge, more people are going to food banks to get their meals.

“What was people living on a fixed income, food stamp, those types of things the $200 and some change they were receiving a month isn’t going as far," said Dimitri House Executive Director Laurie Prizel.

It’s also having a ripple effect on food pantries, Prizel said they are feeling it.

“What once would’ve been two, three bags of groceries coming in to help us support another family in need in the community, now it’s not,” Prizel said.

She said the food bank that helps them, Foodlink is also experiencing high costs because of the supply chain crunch.

“Although they do donate an amount of food to each of our human service agencies here in Rochester, they also sell us items and the cost of those items have also gone up,” Prizel said.

“We’re seeing the same things everybody else is seeing we have to go out and buy food every day for our network and certainly there’s increased costs and that’s something we’re working to address every single day,” said Foodlink’s Chief of Strategy & Partnerships Mitch Gruber.

Gruber said they are consistently looking for what’s more affordable and right now can’t access all of the same items that they used to.
He said despite the pandemic they’ve been able to keep high-quality food on the shelves for the community and food pantries at no fee.

“But I’d also say that there’s really, truly been a surplus of free food for everyone involved with Foodlink via really important government programs that have been consistently working since the start of the pandemic,” Gruber said.

Prizel said with the help of community donations and pinching pennies they can hopefully get through this tough spot.