Pandemic era SNAP ended last summer in Florida, but that doesn't mean families have adjusted

Some 30 million Americans are losing pandemic food benefits this week, but Floridians are not among them.

That’s because the DeSantis administration opted out of these $90 extra dollars a month in July of last year.

But Second Harvest Food Bank’s Greg Higgerson says struggling Central Florida families haven't stabilized in the nine months since.

Higgerson said people still have to contend with rising inflation.

“It's a pretty serious problem, as you walk around in your life or drive around, and you imagine, every eighth person that you pass in the store, or on the road, or in your workplace, or wherever you go," said Higgerson. "That's an awful lot of people who can't afford enough food for themselves and their families."

Higgerson says it's now the norm for them to serve about 300,000 meals a day most weeks, working with over 600 feeding partners including houses of worship and community centers to distribute fresh food.

“It's almost a very counterintuitive thing when you think about it, because we're surrounded by food, but that many people can't afford enough of it," said Higgerson. "And it's really, it's one of those things that you can't do without and so it's a very, very serious problem here in our society.”

SNAP households that also receive Social Security benefits may see a decrease in the aid they receive because Social Security benefits have gone up.

Click here to learn more about SNAP. For a food finder that connects you with your nearest food bank, click here.