Making Ends Meet: Some Families Struggling With Rising Food Costs

Every day, making ends meet is getting harder for more and more people.

Soaring prices at the grocery store, are only making things worse.

Chris Conte shows us the challenges some school districts are facing as they try to help families struggling to put food on the table.

LISTED THERE ON YOUR SCREEN.SOME PEOPLE ARE ALREADYSTRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET...AND NOW... SOARINGPRICES AT THE GROCERY STORE...ARE ONLY MAKING THINGS WORSE.CHRIS CONTE HAS MORE ON THECHALLENGES SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTSARENOW FACING... AS THEY TRY TOHELP FAMILIES WHO ARE STRUGGLINGTO PUT FOOD ON THETABLE.231 CAR PULLS UP, WIDE083558 GOOD MORNING, GOODMORNING, HOW ARE YOU TODAY!IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING.202080148 MORNING OLIVIA!

HOW AREYOU TODAY?..

JAY TOWNSEND IS FINDING A WAYTO GET CLOSE TO PEOPLE.EVEN WHEN HE'S SIX FEET APART.206080343 WHAT DO YOU HAVE ANUMBER?

TWO KIDS, TWO ADULTSJAY'S IS THE FIRST FACE FAMILIESSEE WHEN THEY COME TO GET A FREEMEAL OUTSIDE THIS MIDDLESCHOOL IN PORTLAND, MAINE.HIS FACE IS COVERED BUT HISMESSAGE IS CLEAR.080827 JUST TALK TO THEM LIKEREGULARLY PEOPLESINCE THE START OF THE OUTBREAKPORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVEHANDED OUT MORE THAN50,000 FREE MEALS.A CRITICAL SERVICE FOR FAMILIESFACING FOOD INSECURITY.CLIP 222082931 EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTSSHAIA LANCALOTEA AND HER TWOBOYS WALK HERE ALMOST EVERY DAY.WITHOUT THESE MEALS, SHAIADOESN'T KNOW HOW SHE'D AFFORDHER GROCERY BILL.ACCEPTING HELP THOUGH WASN'TEASY AT FIRST.CLIP 222083108 IT'S A PRIDE THING, IT'SHARD TO ACCEPT AND MAKE YOURSELFVULNERABLE, IT'S HARD TODO THAT AS A HUMAN BEING205080320 THERE WE GO HOW ARE YOUTODAY?COAST-TO-COAST .

MEAL PICKUPSITES, ARE ONLY GETTING BUSIER.081832 IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY,IT'S ABOUT LENDING A HAND JANEMCLUCAS IS THE FOOD SERVICEDIRECTOR FOR THIS THISPICTURESQUE COASTAL TOWN --WHERE THEECONOMY HAS COME TO HALT.NEARLY 78 PERCENT OF STUDENTSQUALIFIED FOR FREE OR REDUCEDLUNCH.AND THAT WAS BEFORE THEPANDEMIC.081320 THE NEED IS GETTINGGREATER AND GREATER, MORE PEOPLEARE FEELING THE PINCH084424 AND AS MORE PARENTS AREFINDING THEMSELVES OUT OF WORK,SCHOOLS DISTRICTSACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE ONLYSEEING THE DEMAND FOR FOODINCREASE.

INSTEAD OF PLANNINGSUMMER VACATION, THEY'REPLANNING HOW TO FEED KIDS FORTHE FALL 214081852 IT'S NOT GONNA STOP,WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING AND FEEDTHESE KIDS THROUGH THE SUMMERAND THERE'S THIS.OFFICIALS ARE REALIZING SOMEFAMILIES DON'T HAVE ACCESS TOTRANSPORTATION.

SO THEY'REEXPANDING FOOD PICKUP SITES .AND THEY'RE CONSIDERING HOMEDELIVERY.082000 BECAUSE NO ONE CAN LEARNWHEN THEY'RE HUNGRY218082450 GETTING TO SEE A LOT OFTHE SAME PEOPLEAS FOR JAY TOWSEND HE'LL BE HEREEVERY DAY AS LONG AS FAMILIESNEED HIM.080848 IT'S ONE LESS THING TOWORRY ABOUT THAT'S NOT HANGINGOVER THEIR HEADSBECAUSE MAKING ENDS MEET RIGHTNOW, MEANS RELYING ON THOSEWILLING TO LEND A HAND.IN PORTLAND, MAINE ..

I'M CHRISCONTE REPORTING.THE U-S-D-A ANNOUNCED NEWMEASURES TODAY... THAT ALLOWSCHOOLDISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRYSOME FLEXIBILITY ON HOW THEYOFFER FREE ANDREDUCED PRICED MEALS.THOSE WAIVERS ARE NOWEXTENDED... UNTIL AUGUST 3