Florida food banks see surge as costs drive demand higher

Florida residents are turning out in droves throughout the state for help from food banks and other nonprofits as grocery prices and overall living costs continue to climb.

"We get people lining up at 9:30 a.m. for our weekly Fresh Market where we give out fresh fruits and vegetables and frozen meats even though we don't open the doors until 5 p.m.," said Forough Hosseini, founder and chair of the nonprofit FBH Community in Daytona Beach.

That scene is being replicated throughout Florida at other food pantry programs, say nonprofit execs.

"At the end of last year, we saw a 13% increase in people seeking assistance from our food banks," said Nelle Miller, president and CEO of All Faiths Food Bank, which operates mobile food pantries in both Sarasota and DeSoto counties. "We've already seen another 10% increase in the first quarter of this year. It's because the cost of food, the cost of fuel, and the cost of housing have all gone up. It's compounding."

Rising costs are forcing Floridians to make hard choices

Sky Beard, director of No Kid Hungry Florida in Melbourne, said her group recently teamed up with Aspect Strategic to conduct a statewide survey of more than 1,000 Floridians to learn how the rising cost of food is affecting them.

The survey results included 82% saying the cost of food is rising faster than their income and 70% who said their financial situation has worsened during the past 12 months.

Of those with families to support who responded to the survey, when asked what other necessity they have had to choose in the past 12 months over buying enough nutritious food for their household, here's what they said:

• 47% said paying for gas, a car repair or transportation.
• 38% said paying for your rent or mortgage.
• 37% said paying a utility bill.
• 34% said getting health care, medical treatment or medicine for your child.

What makes those findings especially troubling, "It's happening at a time when the federal safety net is seeing historic changes that are limiting the number of people who can participate" in food assistance programs such as SNAP, said Beard.

As price hikes outpace wages, Florida could see more families fall into debt

Melissa Nelson, president and CEO of United Way of Florida, said her organization conducts yearly reports tracking the number of families in Florida that are struggling to make ends meet even though the head or heads of those households are employed.

The agency's latest A.L.I.C.E. (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employees) report revealed the number of working poor in Florida is growing.

The crux of the struggle for ALICE households is the gap between wages and expenses. In 2024, a family of four in Escambia County needed approximately $88,800 annually just to cover the essentials, while a similar household in Santa Rosa County needed approximately $90,000 - nearly three times the Federal Poverty Level of $31,200. Yet even with both parents working full time in two of the state's most common jobs - a cook and a teller - this family's combined income still fell short of the cost of basics by approximately $35,000 to $37,000 per year, depending on county.

"Based on what we are seeing and growing, there is great concern on behalf of the nonprofit community that things will get worse before getting better," Nelson said. "If this is true, families will likely deplete any financial cushion or savings that they have, fall deeper into debt, and their mental and physical health will be impacted."

Nelson added, "As prices continue to rise, nonprofits like United Way and our partners, including food pantries, are being asked to do more with less."

Florida needs more food volunteers and donors

In the Daytona Beach area, Hosseini said a number of businesses and organizations have banded together along with individual donors and volunteers to aid FBH Community's efforts to help families in need.

"Supported by the Florida Blue Foundation and AdventHealth, and in partnership with Halifax Urban Ministries and Second Harvest of Central Florida, the Fresh Market serves an average of 150 families every Tuesday at the Dickerson Community Center in Daytona Beach," said Hosseini, who added that the center is in the heart of the 32114 zip code area, one of the poorest in the state.

"Food insecurity is not always visible," she added. "It affects working parents, seniors on fixed incomes, students, veterans, and families facing unexpected financial challenges."

That's why FBH Community and other nonprofits across Florida say they need even more donors and volunteers.

"Every bag of groceries delivered, and every family served, represents more than food," said Hosseini. "It represents dignity, stability, and hope during difficult times."

Clayton Park is a journalist for the USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA. He covers everything from insurance, utilities and home prices to groceries, gas and auto prices as the Florida consumer pocketbook reporter. If you have news tips, please send them to cpark@usatodayco.com. You can get all of Florida's best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://news-journalonline.com/newsletters.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Florida food banks see surge as costs drive demand higher

Reporting by Clayton Park, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida / Pensacola News Journal

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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 5:07 AM.