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How one South Florida organization combats food insecurity this holiday season

Examples of Thanksgiving essentials like stuffing, rice, green beans and mashed potatoes, are packed into boxes distributed by United Way Miami volunteers to families experiencing food insecurity.
Kate Payne
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WLRN
FILE - Examples of Thanksgiving essentials like stuffing, rice, green beans and mashed potatoes, are packed into boxes distributed by United Way Miami volunteers to families experiencing food insecurity.

In South Florida, more than 1.2 million people are facing food insecurity this holiday season — with the added concerns that the incoming Trump administration may reduce a food-stamp benefit program.

“We are seeing families a lot more frequently accessing our network and our pantry,” Paco Vélez, who is the CEO for Feeding South Florida said. “It’s getting pretty difficult for families to live in South Florida."

During an interview Friday on WLRN’s South Florida Roundup, Vélez went over the many challenges that food-insecure families face this holiday season when they may have to make a choice between paying for housing and medications or food and gifts for their children.

And with rising food prices, residents are having a harder time in comparison to previous years.

According to a study conducted by No Kid Hungry Florida in April, nearly three out of four Floridians — 72% — reported finding it more difficult to afford groceries compared to last year, with middle-income families also feeling the pinch.

READ MORE: South Florida turkey giveaways and food assistance for Thanksgiving

Vélez told WLRN protein items as well as dairy products are often harder for not only families but also food banks to get, especially in locations where there is limited cold storage capacity.

Like many other organizations in the country, another uncertainty that the nonprofit is facing is concerns that the Trump administration will reduce the current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by limiting what items people can buy with stamps.

In his conversation with WLRN South Florida Roundup host Tim Padgett, Vélez said the program not only helps feed a lot of families, but it is also a great source of income for grocery stores.

“We're going to work with our grocery store partners to help us advocate and educate our elected officials about how important these benefits are to families,” Vélez said.

This holiday season, Feeding South Florida is hosting many food drives and volunteering opportunities to help those in need. You can find more information on their website.

The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. 

PADGETT: Fill us in about how dire the food insecurity situation is in South Florida this year. You estimate more than 1.2 million people in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties aren’t finding enough to eat. How does that compare with other years?

VÉLEZ: What we're actually seeing with our partner agency network and our own pantries in Boynton Beach and in south Broward is that we are over 1.2 million individuals who are accessing our network throughout the year. Families are struggling to make ends meet, they can't afford utilities, medication, transportation, housing. Food is the first thing to go, it always is.

It's getting pretty difficult for families to live here in South Florida.

In recent years, inflation and supply-chain issues have exacerbated the food insecurity situation in South Florida, especially down in the Keys. What are the kinds of foods that are still particularly hard for many families to find affordable?

The biggest concern for families is really the protein items. They are hard to get, not just for families, but also for food banks. We struggle to get in the poultry, the beef, the pork, things that keep folks moving and their muscles growing. That's the difficult part. We also struggle somewhat with eggs and dairy, especially [because] our partner agencies primarily have limited cold storage capacity. Since the hurricanes hit, produce has not been as cost-effective or as affordable as it once was.

Can you remind our listeners why the holidays make food insecurity so stressful for these families? It’s not just a matter of resources, it’s also a less tangible but no less important issue of psychology and self-esteem, is it not?

There is an issue with psychology, self esteem and overall mental health for our families during the holiday season as they try to figure out how they're going to put food on the table as well as provide a traditional holiday season for their children and their loved ones. It's not easy to do that. Our families have to make a choice and a lot of times housing, medication and other things come before the food or before having gifts for their children. We want families to enjoy, participate and pass on that tradition. We try to remove some of that stress of where they're going to find food for their dinner table or for their holiday meals.

Now, I don’t mean to mix the holidays and politics, but we can’t talk about food insecurity at this particular moment and not raise the issue of possible cutbacks that the incoming Trump Administration may make to the federal food benefits program for low-income families known as SNAP. Do you foresee such cuts being significant — and if so, how are organizations like Feeding South Florida preparing for the effects?

Feeding South Florida is part of the overall Feeding America Network. We're 200 food banks strong. We're about 60,000 nonprofit partners strong. We have a presence in D.C. as well. We have a lot of advocates.

Regardless of who comes into office, whether it's on the administration side or if it's on the legislative side, we're going to advocate for our families, for our partners, and try to do everything that we can. Food stamps or SNAP is also a great source of income for grocery stores.

So, we're going to work with our grocery store partners, especially some of the bigger ones to help us advocate and educate our elected officials about how important these benefits are to families, but also how important they are to economic stability for our country and for our for-profit businesses.

And what’s your best advice for how resource-fortunate people can get out and do their bit to make their corner of South Florida more food-secure for the holidays?

We all live here in South Florida. We have neighbors all around, whether we see them at the country club, at the grocery store or serving at a restaurant. Folks are everywhere. These are our neighbors and we want to help as much as we can. So, find something that you're passionate about, whether it's food, housing, arts […] whatever it is you're passionate about. Leave this world in a much better place than you found it and you'll have a happier life. I can guarantee that.

You can listen to the full conversation above or wherever you get your podcasts by searching: The South Florida Roundup.

Jimena Romero is WLRN’s News and Public Affairs Producer. Besides producing The South Florida Roundup, she is also a general assignment reporter.
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