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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Inflation hit 4.2% in May, the highest it’s been across the U.S. since 2023, as the war in Iran continues to raise fuel prices.
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Consumers in Tucson are feeling the effects, with some turning to local nonprofits for help.
Catholic Community Services’ food bank has seen a significant uptick in the number of people coming in for food assistance and to their clothing donation center. Many of the people who are now coming in haven’t consistently used community food resources in the past.
Vanessa Rodriquez said she’s begun utilizing food banks for the very first time in her life as her grocery bills have gotten too high.
“Usually with $150, maybe even $200, I would be good for at least two weeks, maybe even half a month, and I’ll be good, rationalizing and keeping track of my food and everything,” Rodriquez said. “Now, with those same $200, that barely gets me maybe a week of food at the most.”
Tim Kromer with Catholic Community Services said he’s seen that need increase on a daily basis at the food bank.
“We are seeing families who have not been to our food bank before, for the first time come here, and those reasons are various,” Kromer said.
The increase in visitors comes following nearly a year of Arizonans seeing cuts to SNAP benefits and, most recently, higher prices, including for food, which is up more than three percent when compared to this time last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Kromer said that with an increase in demand, supplies are dwindling quicker than usual.
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“We have been running out of food on a pretty regular basis to the point where we do need extra food,” Kromer said.
Rodriquez said she sees that firsthand as she makes her monthly food bank trips. Her most recent trip was unsuccessful.
“I couldn’t even make the line. The line was so lapped around, and the bank – some of them were already saying that they were already giving out the last,” Rodriquez said. “And what they did have was like the last of the barrel. They couldn’t guarantee that you would be able to get anything.”
Kromer says he expects food banks across Southern Arizona to continue to see an even larger increase in people in need.
“Because it’s summer, we are seeing a large increase in families with children, and have seen a big need for child-friendly kinds of foods,” Kromer said.
Food banks across Southern Arizona say they’re in need of more donations than usual. Now that it’s summer and fewer children are receiving food assistance at school, they’re looking for more kid-friendly donations, like mac and cheese, peanut butter, and cereal.
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