Grocery prices. Two words that affect every single human being on this planet.
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OKEECHOBEE — Grocery prices. Two words that affect every single human being on this planet. Two words that seemed to be the deciding factor for many Americans in the 2024 Presidential Election.
The price of what we consume can determine how many jobs a person has to work, how many things a person has to live without, and how healthy our bodies are. For some Americans a rise in grocery prices may just mean tightening their belts a little, figuratively speaking, and cutting back on how many trips they make to their local Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts in a week. But for a great many, it can mean going without meals altogether.
Prices of groceries skyrocketed with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 due to shutdowns that disrupted supply chains, which in turn caused many to “panic buy,” leading to shortages on many day-to-day products. The problem is that the prices never went back down to what Americans were used to before the pandemic and research suggests that they will continue to rise.
USDA research shows that food prices increased 3.9% in 2021 and then in 2022 by 9.9%, faster than any year since 1979. Most of this was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other factors such as the Russia-Ukraine War, which impacted energy costs. In 2023 growth slowed but prices still increased by 5.8% and in 2024 prices increased 2.3%.
What about this year and next year?
The USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) July 2025 Forecast states:
"In 2025, overall food prices are anticipated to rise at about the historical average rate of growth. In 2025, prices for all food are predicted to increase 2.9 percent, with a prediction interval of 2.2 to 3.7 percent.
"In 2026, overall food prices are expected to increase more slowly than the historical average rate of growth. In 2026, prices for all food are predicted to increase 2.7 percent, with a prediction interval of -3.0 to 8.6 percent."
While the growth has slowed since the pandemic, prices continue to rise, and local food banks can attest to that. With the rise in prices, more and more people are turning to food banks.
Mindy Jaquith, director of outreach and media at First Baptist Church of Okeechobee where they operate The Mission House, a food bank open three days a week, reports that they have seen a significant rise in local families utilizing the pantry.
“According to our records, in 2022, we were serving an average of 3.6 people per day, representing a total of 12.6 people in their families. As of June this year, that number has grown to about 15 people per day, representing a total of 53 people in their combined families. That amounts to a 316% increase over the past three years. The need in our community continues to grow, and we’re doing our best to respond with compassion and consistency,” Mindy said.
The Mission House is funded entirely by First Baptist Church, community partners, and individuals and groups who donate towards their efforts. They do not receive any government assistance.
Chief Executive Officer Leah Suarez of Our Village Okeechobee, a local organization that works to help children and families in need, reports that they too have seen an increase in the amount of people coming in to their food pantry.
“It’s had an uptick since the pandemic,” Leah said. “And it’s just never gone down.” She said they used to only serve about 70 families at their weekly mobile event, where a mobile food truck is on site to distribute food to families in need, and at the last event they served around 120.
The mobile event done by Our Village is a free event done in partnership with House Of Hope from Stuart, Florida. House of Hope brings the truck filled with food and Our Village distributes it at New St. Stephen Church in Cypress Quarters every Thursday. According to Leah, “The food is usually gone within the hour and most times it’s usually around 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of food.”
Place of Hope, out of West Palm, also sends them pallets of 50lb. bags of flour a couple of times a month and it’s usually gone within an hour of Our Village making an announcement on their Facebook page.
Additionally, Our Village has it’s own Food Pantry located just off Highway 441 North and it’s more like a shopping experience. There is a $5 charge but each person gets around $30 worth of food. It was designed with those in mind who work and have income coming in but still don’t make enough to get by or qualify for any food assitance programs such as SNAP, but you need not give any information to get food items from the pantry.
Inside are numbered shelves, and the individual shopping may choose that number of items from that shelf. For example, if the shelf has the number “2” on it, then the individual can take two items from that shelf. There is also a chest style freezer filled with meat and each individual can take one item from the chest. According to Leah, that chest is emptying much faster these days and she explains that the five dollar fee is what makes getting that meat possible. Most of their dry goods are contributed by the community.
So, how many families in Okeechobee face food insecurity? The numbers may surprise you.
The most recent data from FeedingAmerica.org shows that in 2023 17.1%, that’s 6,870 people, in Okeechobee faced food insecurity. Of those 17.1%, 24% were above the SNAP threshold, meaning they made too much money to qualify for SNAP assistance.
Our Village was able to do its own Equity Needs Assessment last year indicating that 12.8% of Okeechobee’s population faces food insecurity which is relatively high compared to the state average of 10.6%.
When asked if she had noticed if any of the families coming in to receive food have had their SNAP benefits cut or eliminated recently due to changes from President Trump’s "Big Beautiful Bill," Leah Suarez from Our Village said that no one has said anything yet.
While grocery prices may not be rising as quickly now as they were two years ago, they are nevertheless, still rising and the impacts are being felt throughout the community of Okeechobee.
When Lake Okeechobee News took to Facebook to ask the community if they had felt the impact, Tammy Lyn responded, "What about those who NEED the benefits but have NEVER been able to qualify for them and have to rely on food banks?" She brings up an ongoing issue many locals face: Many in the community work and still don't make enough to be eating as well as they should be eating, but make too much to qualify for assistance. Then there are those who are elderly or may suffer from a disability that are unable to work. What are these individuals left to do when they can't afford to feed themselves or their children?
They go to food banks.
The Mission House, Our Village and other food banks in the area can always use the help of community donations. If you need to clear out your pantry of food that isn’t being eaten but is still within its expiration date, consider donating it to one of Okeechobee’s local food banks or pantries. If you’re at Publix and the item you’re buying is on BOGO but you really don’t need that extra one, get it anyway and donate it to a local food bank!
Every little bit helps.
