BUFFALO, N.Y. — How much was your last grocery bill? How much was it a year ago?
A new poll from No Kid Hungry New York found as the cost of food rises, more and more people are going into debt trying to afford it.
It comes as the federal government considers making cuts to food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
“I work part-time, so I had to find hours at another place to kind of compensate for that,” said Rhioannona Williams. “Because every time I go to the grocery store, I'm getting stuff for maybe a week, and I'm spending $250, $300 each time.”
It's a story you could find across New York and the nation.
“My situation is... I'm struggling here between here and there,” said Jeffrey Rosendary. “But, you know, I try to budget the best I can.”
People are being buried under piles of bills.
“They say this is a land of freedom. Well, why do the elderly got to judge between 'am I going to get my medication or food,'" Rosendary questioned. "It should never have to be like that.”
Many are having to get creative.
“The only thing that has worked is you got to go to different grocery stores,” said Williams.
According to the poll, more than 50% of people have taken on additional debt due to the rising cost of food.
Depending on the region, 55% to 68% have seen their physical or mental health suffer because of it.
“It's an incredibly stressful situation to not know where your next meal will come from or to know that you might be facing an impossible choice, such as, 'Do I pay the rent this month or do I put food on the table for my family?'” said Catherine Shick, public relations manager at FeedMore WNY.
FeedMore WNY provides more than a million pounds of food every month.
From 2023 to 2024, they saw the number of people served climb 16%. In the past three years, they’ve seen a 46% increase.
It only continues to go up.
“We're approaching that baseline of the numbers of people we served in times of disaster," said Shick. "So I think it's pretty interesting and pretty staggering.”
They point to COVID-19 pandemic-era support programs ending and the cost of living increasing as factors.
“We hear of [...] a parent forgoing meals so their children can eat. These are a lot of ways that people try to find coping mechanisms to deal with food insecurity," she added. "Sometimes, that means also buying the less expensive option that is cheaper, but, of course, maybe not have the health benefits.”
FeedMore is pushing for continued support for SNAP, also known as food stamps, something the No Kid Hungry poll found a majority of New Yorkers also support.
Other than that, it’s depending on people’s generosity.
"Whether that's that donation of food, an hour of your time or a few dollars, all of that does add up,” Shick said.
The poll also found 84% of New Yorkers believe school meals should be free for all students.
