This post is part of a series chronicling news coverage of rising prices in the United States. See more here.
NBC Connecticut talks to a food pantry coordinator who says demand has tripled due to the rising cost of gas and groceries
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From the May 13, 2026, video uploaded to the YouTube channel of WVIT NBC Connecticut
KEISHA GRANT (NBC CONNECTICUT ANCHOR): The weather isn't the only thing that's dreary tonight; so are the higher prices that we're all dealing with at the grocery store. As we've been telling you, and as you've been feeling, your money just isn't going as far as it used to, especially when you're paying this much more for things like tomatoes, coffee, and beef. And when you add in recent changes to SNAP benefits, it is getting very difficult for some families just to keep food on the table. NBC Connecticut's Jeremy Chen takes us to a food pantry that is seeing a higher need.
JEREMY CHEN (NBC CONNECTICUT REPORTER): There's a feeling of relief inside the food pantry at Restoring Strength in Communities Outreach Ministry in Waterbury. People are picking up the groceries they need to make it through the week.
PERSON 1: Collecting food from these food pantries, it does help a lot of families.
CHEN: Daisy Arce says the food stamps she gets aren't enough to cover everything. It's why she comes to the pantry every two weeks to make ends meet.
PERSON 1: I take only what I need.
CHEN: Rukiya Borges, a food pantry coordinator, says the need has grown over the last few months from about 50 families to nearly triple that number now. She points to high prices as major factors.
RUKIYA BORGES (FOOD PANTRY COORDINATOR): You're paying more for gas. You're paying more for groceries. So, you know, the need; there's a gap.
CHEN: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the food inflation over the last twelve months was about 3.2%. Using a sandwich as an example, this cost last year: about $5.80. It's now $6. People say every dollar and cent matters in their budget.
PERSON 1: That's why we can't travel to too many places because of the gas, and we gotta take what they give us and appreciate that we getting it.
CHEN: This comes as less people are enrolled in SNAP benefits due to policy changes here in Connecticut. That number has gone down by 39,000 people according to Connecticut Food Share. And for every one meal a food bank provides, SNAP can provide nine. Borges says she also sees that impact firsthand because the pantry helps anyone who says they're in need.
BORGES: We're definitely still seeing more people come out because more people are impacted. And, again, you know, groceries are just so expensive.
CHEN: But for many families, pantries like this have become a necessity, not a backup plan. That's why Borgia says community support is so important right now.
BORGES: Everyone at any time could be in need, and we are a community, right?
PERSON 1: A little bit helps out.
CHEN: In Waterbury, Jeremy Chen, NBC Connecticut News.