Inflation Escalates Food Insecurity Crisis

Because of inflation, many Americans are finding their normal wages cannot stretch as far as they used to each month. Many individuals and families—including CareSource members—turn to nonprofit organizations to provide the goods and services they need to help supplement their income.

“Increased gas prices, high cooling bills due to hot weather, and increased childcare expenses all impact a family’s budget—leaving little left for food costs at the end of each month, said  Michelle L. Riley CEO at The Foodbank, Inc. “These factors play a direct role in the need for emergency food assistance.”

Need for food assistance is on the rise, and so are purchasing costs.

The Foodbank Inc.’s five food streams help provide a robust variety of products to meet the unique dietary and cultural food needs of the community. The wide variety of food acquisition streams helps ensure there will always be food in stock. The summer months in particular tend to be a time when a wide variety of locally sourced fresh produce is available for distribution. Looking toward the future, The Foodbank is continuing to seek out new and innovative ways to meet the need for emergency food assistance in an ever-changing climate.

CareSource is continuing their support of The Foodbank Inc.’s Mass Food Distributions throughout the summer in an effort to ease the strain everyone is feeling on their budgets. Dates and locations will be announced online.

“CareSource knows the people most greatly affected by inflation are those already struggling to make ends meet,” said Steve Ringel, president of CareSource Ohio. “We are grateful for organizations like The Foodbank and are proud to reinvest in the community though financial and volunteer support of their work.”

In 2021, CareSource and The Foodbank, Inc. teamed up to provide more than 206,000 pounds of food to 3,644 individuals totaling more than 1,239 households.

“CareSource consistently demonstrates a real commitment to addressing the social determinants of health for neighbors in our community,” said Riley. “Thanks to their support, The Foodbank is able to host mass food distribution events each summer. These events are an important part of The Foodbank’s distribution methods and a great way to provide pantry staples, fresh produce, and meat to our neighbors who struggle with food insecurity.”

​​​​​CareSource’s Life Services® program addresses crucial social determinants of health like food insecurity. The Life Services strategy includes a robust hunger initiative focused on three aspects of hunger issues – food access, food insecurity and food education. We believe that many of the hunger issues that individuals face are symptoms of bigger root issues like poverty, disparity, racism and discrimination. CareSource is committed to assisting our members and providing them with greater access for socioeconomic needs, physical and clinical needs and behavioral health needs.