30 Million Americans Face Hunger as They Can’t Afford Insane Grocery Prices
By Investment Watch Blog
Can you believe that in the world’s richest country, 30 million people are on the brink of a hunger cliff because they simply cannot afford rising grocery prices? Yes, you heard that right. Nearly 10 percent of the U.S. population is facing the threat of hunger and about 70 percent of Americans say they are struggling to pay their grocery bills right now. These are just a few alarming findings from recent studies that we are going to expose today. On top of that, a warning coming directly from federal government agencies alerts that in a few weeks from now, 32 states are set to witness a massive rise in food insecurity levels, while charities and food banks from all around the country are already preparing for ”worst-case scenarios”.
The Agriculture Department is now warning 32 local governments that SNAP benefits are going to be slashed early in March. Now, 32 states are set to witness a stunning rise in the number of people experiencing food insecurity, says SNAP director Ellen Vollinger. “This hunger cliff is coming to the vast majority of states, and people will on average lose about $82 of SNAP benefits a month. That is a stunning number,” Vollinger stressed.
“We are deeply concerned about the impact that the end of SNAP emergency allotment will have on millions of families that needed this critical lifeline for the past three years,” highlights Jerome Nathaniel, director of policy and government relations at City Harvest, an organization that collects food waste from restaurants, bakeries, and cafes.
The changes mean that a family of four will see benefits cut by roughly $328 per month, while elderly Americans who receive the minimum monthly benefit will see their SNAP payments fall from $281 per month to as low as $23, a $258 decrease. In 2022, the average monthly benefit per person was $230.88, an increase from $129.83 in 2019.
Of the 30 million SNAP recipients that are at risk of facing hunger, almost a third of them are already skipping meals, eating less, and going to food banks to manage grocery costs, according to the latest monthly survey by Provider, an app that aims to help low-income Americans improve their financial health.
For their part, food banks are bracing for “worst-case scenarios” as food aid is slashed. Demand is already so high right now that soon they will be forced to send people home with empty hands, charities’ representatives say. With the number of people seeking food assistance rising by 65% in December, and 90% of food banks in danger of running out of supplies due to big jumps in food costs – in a couple of months, charities will have no choice but to turn people away because there won’t be enough food for everyone in need.
Libby Campbell, CEO of West Texas Food Bank, expressed her shock: “I don’t know if we’ve ever seen this happen before, where we have pushed a whole new group of people into food poverty,” she said.
This devastating hunger crisis will leave many to suffer the consequences of a broken society that fails to address the basic needs of its citizens. This is the stark truth of our current situation – a reality that cannot be ignored or dismissed. This is America – where even the most basic human needs are becoming a luxury that most cannot afford.
To save money, don’t eat 😅
Thanks WSJ … 🤡 🌎 pic.twitter.com/7JIgW9Tyhx
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) February 15, 2023
