WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — On a rainy and chilly January morning in West Palm Beach, cars were lined up, engines were running and the heat was on as drivers waited patiently at a food giveaway.
"I come here at 4 a.m., all these people here at 4 in the morning," Rick Valentine of Lake Worth Beach said.
WATCH BELOW: Rising grocery prices increases food insecurity
He and the others were at the United Haitian Baptist Church, one of several churches and community centers in the area that offer free food once a week.
Valentine, who said he's on a fixed retirement income, used to spend about $135 at the supermarket each week. Now he spends about $50 and comes to the food bank for the rest.
"Every week it's different," Valentine said. "Eggs, milk, groceries, chicken, meat."
The post-pandemic inflation has put a strain on grocery bills, with prices rising over 20% in the last few years.
Data also shows food insecurity is rising among seniors on fixed incomes.
"You have to rethink everything," Kyle Cohen of Lake Worth told WPTV. "Am I going to buy this? Am I going to substitute? What am I going to buy?"
Cohen is also retired and lives on Social Security and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
She finds her best deals on groceries by going to Walmart and has adapted to the rising prices by cutting down on buying meat.
"When my Social Security went up Jan. 1 by about $20, my SNAP went down by about $20," Cohen said. "That's a significant thing, but not only did the Social Security go up and SNAP went down, the price of groceries went up."
