BUFFALO, N.Y. — When you think of holiday cheer, forklifts and warehouses aren’t the sights and sounds that typically come to mind.
But for many families across WNY, the workers at FeedMore WNY’s warehouses are doing more this holiday season than Santa and his elves ever could.
Collin Bishop with FeedMore said he’s seen how increasing costs over the last two decades have caused a significant rise in food insecurity across Western New York. 1 in 8 people in the region today lack access to consistent food.
“Am I going to pay for my medicine? Am I going to put food on the table? How do I afford rent?” he said. “We don't want anybody to have to have to make that kind of a decision of, is it this or that? And so that's why we're here.”
That food insecurity is largely a result of basic items in your grocery cart rising. For example, since 2004, the average price of eggs has risen from $1.34 to $3.37. Bread has risen from $0.97 to $1.95. A pound of ground beef has risen from $2.68 to $5.59.
For many families, that rise adds up quickly and makes all the difference.
“Things have not changed in terms of the amount of money they're making, but the cost of living is going up,” Bishop said. “We don't want them to choose not to feed their family or to eat less healthy food because that's what's cheaper.”
And that’s where FeedMore WNY comes into play: the organization distributed more than 14.7 million pounds of food to partner agencies like food pantries and soup kitchens last year alone and helped serve more than 130,000 people across the region.
While the warehouse workers aren't wrapping up a new bike or the latest tech, what’s on those shelves is something more important this holiday season.
“We're here to help, and we want to make sure you have what you need,” Bishop said.