{"id":1617530,"date":"2022-08-20T09:34:04","date_gmt":"2022-08-20T13:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1617530"},"modified":"2022-08-20T09:34:08","modified_gmt":"2022-08-20T13:34:08","slug":"inflation-is-now-straining-the-charitable-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inflation-is-now-straining-the-charitable-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"Inflation Is Now Straining The Charitable Sector"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Finflation-is-now-straining-the-charitable-sector%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1617530&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p><em>By Patrice Onwuka for RealClearPolicy<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Inflation accelerated once again last month to a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/opub\/ted\/2022\/consumer-prices-up-9-1-percent-over-the-year-ended-june-2022-largest-increase-in-40-years.htm#:~:text=SUBSCRIBE-,Consumer%20prices%20up%209.1%20percent%20over%20the%20year%20ended%20June,largest%20increase%20in%2040%20years&amp;text=Over%20the%2012%20months%20ended,Urban%20Consumers%20increased%209.1%20percent.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">40-year high<\/a>\u00a0as the Consumer Price Index rose\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/news.release\/cpi.t02.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">9.1%<\/a>\u00a0from one year ago,\u00a0forcing poor, elderly and middle-class Americans to confront harsh realities to pay for necessities. Today, it costs 12.2% more to put food on the table at home, about 60% more to drive to work and 2.8% more to take public transit than it did just last year.<\/p>\n<p>Families are turning to food banks for help in unprecedented numbers, with donors and foundations rising to meet the challenge. But even charitable dollars can\u2019t escape the corrosive impacts of inflation. In this land of plenty, 2022 may be the hungriest summer on record for Americans up and down the income scale.<\/p>\n<p>According to Feeding America,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.feedingamerica.org\/about-us\/press-room\/53-million-received-help-2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">53 million people<\/a>\u00a0turned to food banks, food pantries and meal programs in 2021, one-third more than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, when millions of Americans relied on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/race-and-ethnicity-hunger-coronavirus-pandemic-4c7f1705c6d8ef5bac241e6cc8e331bb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">food banks<\/a> \u2013 some for the first time \u2013 as workers lost jobs or were temporarily unemployed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/thepoliticalinsider.com\/obama-chimes-in-reviving-bidens-big-fing-deal-line-to-celebrate-inflation-reduction-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Obama Chimes In, Reviving Biden\u2019s \u2018Big F***ing Deal\u2019 Line To Celebrate Inflation Reduction Act<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today, many people are back to work, but real wages, or inflation-adjusted pay, keeps falling, as grocery prices rise. Again, food banks are seeing long lines for help and reporting spiking demand.<\/p>\n<p>Most households have begun to alter their spending decisions because of inflation. However, inflation is robbing the most vulnerable in our society, such as those with low incomes or on a fixed budget, of the dignity to live a normal life. Since proportionately, they spend more of their budgets on groceries and energy, price volatility triggers food insecurity and forces them to make existential choices.<\/p>\n<p>Consider the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stltoday.com\/business\/local\/st-louis-food-pantries-squeezed-between-inflation-and-need-new-clients-arrive-in-droves\/article_8e04ff3d-f2e0-50b1-b6a9-eeabbd2320b0.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dire stories<\/a>\u00a0that church food pantries hear of people contemplating suicide or not eating for days. Food banks and pantries are as critical as ever to help them meet their most basic needs.<\/p>\n<div id=\"subscribe\" class=\"email-signup inarticle\">\n<h4>Support Conservative Voices!<\/h4>\n<h5><strong>Sign up to receive the latest<\/strong> political news, insight, and commentary delivered directly to your inbox.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>In America, our civil society springs to action whenever people are in need. As with other crises, shelters, food pantries and feeding programs, soup kitchens and other direct service organizations have stepped up their distribution to meet the burgeoning demand from clients up and down the income ladder.<\/p>\n<p>In turn, they depend on gifts from private individuals and foundations to meet those needs. Yet these frontline aid workers are also being squeezed by inflation from different directions.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, inflation is allowing givers no rest. Rising food and gasoline prices make it costlier to deliver goods and services. For example, in California, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/sanfrancisco\/news\/inflation-alameda-county-food-bank-faces-strain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0expenditures jumped from a pre-pandemic monthly average of $250,000 to as high as $1.5 million.<\/p>\n<p>Supply chain disruptions that plagued our economy still persist as well, prompting organizations to find ways around securing food items for distribution or implementing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/local\/columbus\/2022\/07\/21\/dublin-ohio-food-pantry-growing-hunger-needs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rationing<\/a>\u00a0on staples like meat.<\/p>\n<p>Wages are rising, but this benefit \u2013 although good for workers \u2013 places greater pressure on nonprofit budgets. Organizations must offer their employees more money to stave off staff departures, especially in a jobs market with over 11 million unfilled positions. Every additional dollar allotted for salary is a dollar less for services.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/thepoliticalinsider.com\/why-are-lawmakers-continuing-to-push-for-a-digital-dollar-look-to-china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Why Are Lawmakers Continuing To Push For A Digital Dollar? Look To China<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, inflation threatens to impact overall giving to charity as well. The generosity of the American people has been a stopgap for surging demand during the pandemic and other crises. While megagifts by wealthy donors attract headlines, they only account for about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenonprofittimes.com\/report\/giving-usa-data-shows-18-6b-lift-flattened-by-inflation\/\">5%<\/a>\u00a0of individuals giving to our charitable sector.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, giving is actually a part of life for Americans of all walks of life. About\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropyroundtable.org\/resource\/who-gives-most-to-charity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">six out of 10<\/a>\u00a0U.S. households donate to charity in a given year. Individuals gave\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/philanthropy.iupui.edu\/news-events\/news-item\/giving-usa:--total-u.s.-charitable-giving-remained-strong-in-2021,-reaching-$484.85-billion.html?id=392\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$484.85 billion<\/a>\u00a0to charities in 2021 according to Giving USA, 4% more than 2020 but a negative 0.7% when adjusted for inflation. This represents two thirds of overall giving to the constellation of organizations that comprise our civil society \u2013 from churches to soup kitchens to research institutes.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, rising prices reduce the value of each dollar donated, eroding donors\u2019 giving power. Even more concerning, giving levels could cool over the uncertainty of inflation. Levels of consumption seem to be\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/inflation-has-outpaced-wage-growth-now-its-cutting-into-spending-11658050200\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">leveling off<\/a>\u00a0and Americans are dipping into their\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/americans-tap-pandemic-savings-to-cope-with-inflation-11657013400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">savings<\/a>\u00a0to just maintain their quality of life. A pullback in giving now would have devastating consequences: leaving nonprofits with fewer resources and hungry bellies empty.<\/p>\n<p>Americans came together during a once-in-a-generation pandemic. The needs have returned, so we must come together again to help each other weather these current economic headwinds. If you are uncertain about where to give, helping local food banks and pantries would be a good place to start.<\/p>\n<p><em>Syndicated with permission from Real Clear Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Patrice Onwuka is adjunct senior fellow at The Philanthropy Roundtable and director of the Center for Economic Opportunity at Independent Women\u2019s Forum.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">The opinions expressed by contributors and\/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Political Insider.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Patrice Onwuka for RealClearPolicy Inflation accelerated once again last month to a\u00a040-year high\u00a0as the Consumer Price Index rose\u00a09.1%\u00a0from one year ago,\u00a0forcing poor, elderly and middle-class Americans to confront harsh<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1617532,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1617530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1617530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1617530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1617530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1617532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1617530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1617530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1617530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}