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MIAMI (WSVN) - Dozens of cars continued to line up for food distributions across South Florida, and new data shows South Floridians suffer from the highest rate of food scarcity in the U.S.
7News cameras captured long lines at grocery giveaways in Miami and Fort Lauderdale on Monday.
“It’s a big help,” a food recipient said. “Money’s tight right now. It helps. It helps a lot. It’s a really tough time for everyone in Miami.”
The trunks of cars were filled with food and basic necessities at Moore Park thanks to help from City of Miami leaders and Feeding South Florida.
“We’re trying to do as many food distributions as possible and really try to get to as many families,” a volunteer said.
In Broward County, Kids in Distress, a local non-profit, has seen the need and demand for food from Broward families continue for the past few months.
“We’ve been doing this for 15 weeks,” spokesperson Mark Dhooge said. “We serve about 550 families per week.”
According to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 1 in 7 South Florida households have experienced food scarcity. Roughly 14% of reporting households said they have gone without food or haven’t had enough, according to the bureau’s survey.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Dhooge said. “It does alarm me. If you don’t have those basic needs met, then anything else is really just a stressor.”
The bureau ranks South Florida as the highest metropolitan area in the U.S. suffering from food scarcity, with Houston and New York trailing behind.
The South Florida community’s continued help will hopefully get local families through these difficult times.
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