HILLSBORO, Texas KXXV) — Rising grocery prices are straining local food banks, including Hillsboro Interfaith Ministry, where dwindling donations are limiting the amount of food they can provide. Volunteers say they are receiving fewer supplies, making it harder to support families in need. Inflation has worsened the situation over the past year, leaving shelves nearly empty of meat and other essentials. Hillsboro Interfaith Ministry talks to our 25 News crew about the realities of rising food prices.
- Hillsboro Interfaith Ministry food bank struggles to get donations of cereal, milk, rice, and more.
- Nowadays, the food bank only receives one pallet of food.
- Organizers worry they won’t have enough to meet the community’s demand.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"We used to be able to give them two bags of canned goods over here but now we can only give them one because our canned goods are dwindling," Hillsboro Interfaith Ministry volunteer, Beverly Graham said.
Most of us have been dealing with the rising costs of inflation. But it's also hitting some local community organizations — especially local food banks.
“There's no fish, no meat, no chicken, none of that kinda stuff. We did get some cheese," Graham said.
Beverly Graham said the donations list at Hillsboro Interfaith Ministry is getting smaller and smaller. She says they received only one pallet of food on Thursday—and that’s it.
“There was cabbage, there were beets, there were turnips—which most families don’t want to see," Graham said.
Rising grocery prices are starting to impact the food banks' ability to help locals put food on the table.
Graham said inflation has been an ongoing issue for the last year. When we first told the story of the food bank this past September, the number of people suffering from food insecurity was growing, but the bank's shelves were still stocked with meat and perishable goods. Fast-forward seven months, and it’s a different story.
"We don’t give out enough in their baskets, they’re short? And we’re having to buy eggs and milk to get through," Vice President of Hillsboro Interfaith Ministry Carleen Harris said.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the consumer price index for all food increased 0.2% from January 2025 to February 2025, and food prices were 2.6% higher than in February 2024. Graham said they can serve 70-80 clients within a week.
“We have a lady in here that had 11 in her family. When we have a big family, we give them extra stuff that we have, but it’s still not going to be enough," Graham said.
