The East Coast Believers Church in Oviedo, Florida, is looking to expand its pantry in hopes of meeting the growing demand in the community. The church noted that more people need help putting food on the table. 

Helping Nonprofits Feed Hungry 

In a report with Click Orlando, Seminole County granted Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida $850,000 to help the nonprofit. 

According to the report, the nonprofit will distribute its resources to over 50 community pantries across Central Florida. 

The East Coast Believers Church will be one of the recipients of the resources. 

Increase in Demand 

Workers from Second Harvest Food Bank told the news outlet that more people find it challenging to make ends meet. They shared that there was a 25% increase in clients availing of their services. 

They noted that the demand was up since June. The nonprofit has been sending out around 250,000 meals a day. 

Inflation has posed a challenge for many low-income families in Central Florida. 

Great Help 

Norm Dubois, the church's pastor, said that they have been distributing free meals to less fortunate families since the pandemic's start. 

The faith leader shared that the church opened a COVID-19 testing site as well as a vaccination center. 

He told the news outlet that their expansion plans are meant to benefit more struggling low-income families. 

The pastor explained that the church plans to expand its food pantry to a bigger room next to the church. 

He told the news outlet that the grant given by Seminole County to Second Harvest was a huge help for them. The pastor hopes to help more people in need with the resources they receive.

Dubois added that the budget allotted for food would go towards other operating expenses, such as the expansion project. He added that the grant opened new doors for them to remodel and extend their reach to more families who needed it. 

According to a report from Feeding America, there are around 15,000 kids in Seminole County who are struggling to put food on the table. 

Effects of Inflation 

Sean Snaith told Click Orlando that low-income earners are among those who are affected the most by the rise in inflation. 

Snaith is the director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Economic Forecasting. He added that those who live with a fixed income feel the brunt of inflation as well. 

Click Orlando's report said budgeting expenses had become a challenge for many low-income families. The prices of food, rent, and gas have increased in the past two months. 

Reality of Recession 

Snaith told the news outlet that the country might not recover from inflation within the next year. 

He added that while many Americans believed that the United States could face a recession, he said that the country was already experiencing it. 

Snaith explained that the country was already in a recession, even if the government would not declare it. He added that the evidence was already there with people struggling to buy food, pay rent, and afford to fill up their tanks with gas. 

More from Crossmap: Boston College to host 4 international assemblies about Jesuit education