Rising Costs Threaten Holidays for Families in Need
Ande was in trouble, and she knew it. For the last few months, she had been treading water, pulling in just enough money to keep up with rent, pay bills, and put food on the table for her young son. But now the holidays were right around the corner, and Ande was sinking. So, when her community announced that it would soon be hosting a Feed the Children Resource Rally, it felt as though she’d been thrown a lifeline.
“Having enough food is one of our major worries,” Ande told us. “I’m sure (it is) for every mother. Nobody wants to see their kid ask for food, like, ‘Mom, I’m hungry.’ It’s one of the most heartbreaking things.”
Ande is far from the only parent struggling to stay afloat as the holidays approach. A recent study showed that over one-third of employed Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. A single emergency – an illness, car accident, or even a cold snap resulting in a higher heating bill – can wreak havoc on an already-limited budget.
A family’s income doesn’t stretch as far these days, either. Food prices have increased: a budget-breaking 9.9% in 2022, followed by another 5.8% in 2023, with continuous slow growth throughout 2024.
“I can spend $100 at a grocery store and come out with barely anything,” said Kim, a single working mom of two. “When my refrigerator is empty, I feel like less of a person. It takes my confidence down when it comes to being a mother, because I feel like there’s a job that needed to be fulfilled that I could not fulfil.”
And now that it’s the holiday season, there is even more pressure to provide.
“When the holidays come around, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas… it’s like, am I going to be able to do it?” said Katrina. “And it’s not just food. Am I going to be able to get my kids one or two gifts for Christmas? It was just my son’s birthday, and I wasn’t able to do anything for him. I try not to make it so noticeable that I’m struggling, but he feels it. He knows that something’s going on.”
Every parent wants their kids to experience the joy that this time of year is meant to bring. But parents like Katrina, Kim and Ande worry that the holidays will be a time of heartbreak rather than hope if nothing changes. How do you explain to kids that you cut every cost you could, but they need food, and school supplies, and a warm place to sleep – and that’s why Santa keeps missing their stockings?
When you donate this holiday season, your gifts provide more than a meal. You give struggling parents the chance to catch their breath and look beyond the next oncoming wave of bills. Knowing that their basic needs will be met frees up families to focus on the holidays as a time of togetherness and love, rather than another expense.
