Fighting Food Insecurity In Southwest Florida

ACROSS FLORIDA, FOOD BANKS ARE EXPERIENCING RECORD DEMAND. MANY PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES WITH RISING GROCERY COSTS AND FEDERAL CUTS TO PROGRAMS LIKE SNAP BENEFITS, FEEDING AMERICA REPORTING MORE THAN 3.3 MILLION FLORIDIANS FACE HUNGER, ONE IN 5 CHILDREN ARE FOOD, INSECURE. THAT MEANS MORE PEOPLE ARE TURNING TO FOOD BANKS FOR THEIR NEXT MEAL. WGCUS CULTURE AND CONNECTIONS. REPORTER ELIZABETH ANDARGE HAS MORE. RICHARD E. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. WITH THIS. THE STATE OF HUNGER IN OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES RIGHT NOW. THE STATE OF HUNGER IS PRONOUNCED IN OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES. >> AND WE'RE SEEING OVERALL INCREASES IN HUNGER ACROSS OUR SERVICE TERRITORY AND RURAL COMMUNITIES IN PARTICULAR ARE SEEING SIGNIFICANT INCREASES. SO 25 OR 50% INCREASE IS OVER PREVIOUS LEVELS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. >> WHAT CHALLENGES ARE FARMERS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING AND HOW TO THOSE CHALLENGES AFFECT EFFORTS TO FEED PEOPLE FACING HUNGER? WELL, YOU KNOW, >> PEOPLE ARE FACING CHALLENGES RELATED TO YEAH. JUST THE COST OF LIVING IN GENERAL OBVIOUSLY COSTS ARE WAY UP FOR MANY THINGS THAT PEOPLE RELY ON IS PART OF THEIR NORMAL BUDGET PEOPLE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES, IN PARTICULAR DEAL WITH ADDITIONAL ISSUES. IT'S VERY COMMON FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES TO BE DESERTS, TO NOT HAVE EASY, CONVENIENT ACCESS TO FULL SERVICE, GROCERY STORES PARADOXICALLY FROM THEM NOT TO HAVE EASY ACCESS TO FRESH PRODUCE AND THAT KIND OF PRODUCT, EVEN THOUGH THEY LIVE IN AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES IN THE AGRICULTURE COMMUNITIES ARE VERY OFTEN SPREAD OUT SO THAT TRANSPORTATION IS A PARTICULAR ISSUE FOR THOSE POLK FOLKS IN THIS PARTICULAR CHALLENGE FOR US GETTING FOOD TO THEM IN A WAY THAT'S CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO ACCESS. >> WHY IS BIPARTISAN CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR SUPPORTING STRONG FARM AND NUTRITION PROGRAM? SO CRITICAL FOR BOTH FOOD BANKS AND FARMERS RIGHT NOW. WELL, THE >> THE FARM BILL THAT CONGRESS PASSES IS REALLY THE FOUNDATION FOR A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE FOOD BANKS WITH MUCH OF OUR FOOD, ESPECIALLY THE FRESH PRODUCTS AND ACCESS TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. AND THEY'RE ALSO A WAY OF CHANNELING MONEY TO FARMING COMMUNITIES IN MANY OF WHICH ARE QUITE POOR AND SUBJECT TO THE VAGARIES OF THE MARKET SO THAT WHEN PRICES COLLAPSE FOR ONE COMMODITY OR ANOTHER FREQUENTLY, PEOPLE IN AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES ARE VERY CHALLENGED TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND THE FARM BILL REALLY IS THE METHOD OR BY WHICH WE PROVIDE SUPPORT IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT IT BE SUPPORTED ON BILL IN BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. SO THAT WEEKEND FIND A COMPROMISE ON A REALISTIC FARM BILL THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF BOTH RURAL COMMUNITIES AND AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS THE NEEDS OF EVERYBODY ACROSS ALL COMMUNITIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY. HOW CAN PEOPLE? >> LOCALS AND FLORIDIANS HELP. WELL, THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS PEOPLE CAN HELP. OF COURSE YOU CAN ALWAYS ENCOURAGE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SUPPORT COMMON-SENSE BILLS LIKE THE FOOD, THE FOOD BILL, THAT FARM BILL THAT SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO ARE NEEDING HELP AND THE NETWORK THAT THAT SUPPORTS. ADDITION TO THAT, OF COURSE, WE HAVE MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE STALWART IN THEIR SUPPORT OF FOOD BANKS AND HUNGER RELIEF. THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER THEIR OPPORTUNITIES TO DONATE THEIR OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE FOOD BOOST TO THE FOOD BANK AND TO THE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE SUPPORT IN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE HELPING US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER. AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO THE SUPPORT OF EVERYONE, OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE WORK THAT WE DO. AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO SUPPORT OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., WHO WORK WITH US IN OUR FELLOW FOOD BANKS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE PROGRAMS IN PLACE TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGRY AND PEOPLE IN OUR RURAL AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES WHO NEED HELP. >> RICHARD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.