Kissimmee food drive reflects growing demand amid rising prices

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — The Mercy Foundation hosted a food drive Saturday morning to help local families in need.

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Inflation has raised concerns for some families who need to find their next meal, but organizations are struggling to keep up with demand.

Within an hour of the food distribution event, bags of food were gone.

Read: Central Florida food banks are seeing more people due to inflation

The event was meant to meet food insecurity needs in Osceola County.

Naji Aalim, the co-founder of the Mercy Foundation, said the long line of people shows how word spread during a time when the need for food is high.

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“It doesn’t matter where you are, there’s a need in every community,” Aalim said.

Kissimmee resident Patricia Gillon said she earns a paycheck but it’s not enough to feed her family of five.

“It’s a big help because we wouldn’t have enough food to go around in the household,” she said.

Gillon said she waited in line so her 5-year-old doesn’t go hungry.

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“I know it’s tough but God will take care of us through it all,” she said.

Amid a time of global inflation, food providers are not getting the donations at the rate that they used to get.

Aalim said the Mercy Foundation is planning to launch a permanent food pantry, hopefully in September.

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