Food costs are up but SNAP assistance is down, leading to increased need at Pittsburgh food bank

Fall is officially here, and the holidays are coming at warp speed. But for so many of our neighbors, thinking about having a holiday meal is stressful because they simply can't afford it. It's especially true this year because of changes to SNAP benefits. And that's why your donations to the KDKA Turkey Fund are more important now than ever.

"We're seeing more and more people coming to us even for the first time saying they just can't keep up anymore," said Colleen Young, the director of government affairs at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Food costs are up while access to food assistance is down.

"So, in Pennsylvania, over 200,000 people, including 60,000 children, have lost access to SNAP since last July," Young said. 

Those 200,000 Pennsylvanians are among an estimated 5 million Americans who no longer qualify for SNAP or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. And for those who do still qualify, the rules have dramatically changed.

"The rules are just much more complicated now. People are confused about how to maintain their eligibility," said Young.

And more changes to SNAP just rolled out on Oct. 1. States now bear a greater burden for funding it.

Instead of it being a 50/50 split between the federal and state governments, the federal government is now responsible for only 25% of SNAP funding, while states have to cover 75% of the cost. Experts say that could lead to even more cuts for people who depend on SNAP to help feed themselves and their families.

"They really just are struggling to get by," Young said. "They can't keep up not only with the cost of food but also with the other rising costs they have in their household budget like housing, utilities and the price of gas."

Young says SNAP is the nation's most effective anti-hunger program.

"Nearly 80% of the people who participate in that are in households that include at least one child, a senior or a person living with a disability. So, we know that those are our most vulnerable neighbors," she said.

But she says SNAP is about more than just putting food on the table.

"Not only does it provide direct food assistance that people can use to be able to purchase food in their local grocery stores, but it also boosts the local economy. So it adds jobs. It supports small businesses. It really builds a stronger community overall," Young added.

And community is what the KDKA Turkey Fund is all about.

"The Turkey Fund is really critical for the work that we do," Young said. 

It's a way all of us can pitch in to help our neighbors.

"It just really helps us to be able to provide that resource to families who need that extra assistance at a time when we're all celebrating together as families but also as a community," she added. 

If you're wondering exactly who you're helping when you donate, Young says you might be surprised.

"We're seeing so many folks that are of retirement age that just can't keep going anymore," she said. "And these were folks that had whole careers, worked all their lives and now the amount of money that they were able to save is not enough to meet the costs of this moment. And we're also seeing working families that just can't keep up with those expenses. And then we see so many other neighbors that are just one accident or one paycheck away from an economic disaster in their family."

That's why the KDKA Turkey Fund means so much to so many.

"The KDKA Turkey Fund is a powerful example of neighbors helping neighbors and it helps us ensure that families have access to the nutrition they need not only at holiday time but throughout the year," Young said. 

There are four ways to donate to the KDKA Turkey Fund.

You can go to any PNC Bank. If you donate in person, they'll match all donations, up to $100,000.

You can donate online at kdkaturkeyfund.com. You can text "kdturkey" to 50155. Or you can mail a check to P.O. Box Thanks, Pittsburgh, PA 15230.

From all of us at KDKA-TV, thank you!