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Rising costs have families and food banks struggling to put a holiday meal on the table

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Updated  November 16, 2022 6:26pm EST
Holidays
FOX 29 Philadelphia

Rising costs have families and food banks sturggling to put a holiday meal on the table

Families are struggling with the rising cost of food along with food banks, like Philabundance. Thanksgiving 2022 has turned into quite an expensive affair.

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - With Thanksgiving next week, food banks are hard at work trying to help families who are struggling be able to celebrate.

Adding to the challenge of helping families, everyone, including food banks, are facing the rising cost of everything to put on the festive table. Thanksgiving 2022 has turned into quite an expensive affair.

Shopper Nicholas Vieira commented, "I noticed chicken got a lot more expensive. That's usually a go to for me, same with broccoli. I've had to stay away from those. Eggs, too. Kind of messes me up."

According to research group IRI, Thanksgiving meals will cost nearly 14 percent more than in 2021.

"We’ve seen some costs increasing 10 percent, but some other costs doubled," Philabundance CEO Loree Jones Brown said.

Pre-pandemic, Jones says they’d spend about $2 million per year on food. That number is now more than $13 million. "We do work through agency partners and each and every one of them is seeing 50 percent, even double the amount of people they normally see."

Wednesday, Amazon donated 1,000 turkeys to Philabundance and $50,000 to help those in need, but more will be needed.

"$50,000 is going directly to help us purchase more food, so we need more financial donations like this," Jones Brown added.