CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas —
As inflation continues to raise prices, the Coastal Bend Food Bank is making sure food is still getting on the tables of people that need it most.
Bea Hanson, Executive Director of the Food Bank, said high gas prices are making it difficult to get food out to surrounding areas.
“We are feeling the impact of the rising prices here at the Food Bank,” Hanson said. "We depend on the help of the community and they have been very generous. So, with the help of the community we have been able to face crisis.”
With the cost of filling up their trucks doubling in the past few months, Hanson said these are the times they need donations the most.
For comparison, it cost about $6,000 a month to fill the Food Bank's entire fleet of 10 trucks with gas in February. So far in June, they spent more than $12,000. Hanson said the more money they have to spend on fuel, the less money that they have to spend on food to help families.
“We depend on the help of the community and they have been very generous," Hanson said. "So, with the help of the community we have been able to face crisis.”
Hanson said the Food Bank has learned from previous events like Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19 to prepare for these moments. Meanwhile, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi economics professor Dr. Jim Lee said this moment is unlike anything seen before.
“It’s very severe," Lee said. "I mean we have never seen it this severe in terms of inflation, rising prices, and shortages in our lifetime.”
The Food Bank serves 11 counties and as far south as Falfurrias. While they have enough food thanks to donations from the community, they also have a supply from the USDA to help.
“Non-profits, obviously, are being hit more severely because they rely on donations," Lee said. "Especially with Food Bank, I mean, they are facing problems on different fronts.”
Those problems are less supplies and donations, and higher gas prices and transportation costs. With 24 families coming in for food last week alone, Hanson said are fortunate donors have not stopped helping them despite everyone feeling the financial pressure.
“They continue that commitment to the Food Bank and it is that caring that we need to help one another that is making the big, big difference,” Hanson said.
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