Originally from Illinois, Kukec said her family came to Florida in 2019, fleeing severe domestic violence that Kukec says left her permanently disabled. “You’re a hamster on a wheel, trying to catch up to make sure your kids have something (to eat), and that they also have lights, and they also have a place to live,” Kukec said. Whatever small amount of money she’s able to put toward food translates to another late car insurance, credit card, or medical bill payment. A hamster on a wheelįor Kukec and many others in similar situations, living in poverty feels like an impossible cycle. In Osceola County, where the Kukec family lives, more than 22% of children are food insecure - meaning they lack consistent access to enough food to live healthy, active lives, according to the Feeding America Network. Before the end of the day, it was already finished. Cloud pantry, Kukec said she was fortunate enough to leave with a quart of milk - not the lactose-free milk her daughter Livia really needs, but still a precious find for the family. Whenever they are, she said it’s usually thanks to outside donations. “And right now with the food prices going up, a lot of families are having to forgo the more nutritious, protein-high meats, fruits and veggies.”Īlthough families will ask for fresh food items at the pantry, there usually aren’t any available to distribute, Olivera said.
“The healthier items, as we all know, are more costly,” she said. To feed her two kids, Kukec picks up whatever she can each month from a local food pantry, run by the Osceola Council on Aging. But usually, it’s mostly non-perishables: things like canned tomatoes, boxed cereal and ramen noodles, rather than fresh produce or meat.Įxperts say those fresh food items are the toughest for families - and food pantries - to get, and Belinda Olivera of the Osceola Council on Aging says “there is never enough.” the largest 12-month increase since 1979, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the last year, the price of food rose more than 11% in the U.S. Officials at local pantries say they are working to address the growing need.
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