In Tampa and St. Petersburg, emergency food distributors who saw a surge in demand during the pandemic say they are seeing another surge due to inflation.

Here in Pinellas County, Donna McGill, executive director of the Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center, gets calls every day asking for help to pay electric and water bills.

Food prices are up 10% in a single year. Gas prices are up 48% since 2021. Energy costs are up 34% and used car prices are up 16%. That’s leading more people in the Tampa Bay area to trim their budgets with many facing food insecurity for the first time in their lives.