Food Bank Visits Quadruple as Grocery Costs Rise 0.4 Percent

Rising grocery and household costs are pushing American families to plan purchases more carefully, cut back, and seek food assistance. In Pennsylvania, shoppers and businesses report pressure from higher food and fuel prices, while food charities say demand is high and supplies are difficult to secure; residents also attribute some of the strain to tariffs and the war in Iran. In western North Carolina, MANNA FoodBank reports about 250,000 pantry visits monthly—four times its pre-pandemic level—and some state lawmakers are proposing action on utility costs as one way to ease pressure on households and businesses. National data showed consumer prices rose 0.4% in October, with the release lacking a year-over-year comparison because the prior year’s data could not be collected during the government shutdown.