WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Food insecurity affects a significant number of families across Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.
WPTV found that each of the five counties in our viewing area has about 13% of the population that is considered food insecure, according to stats from Feeding America.
WATCH BELOW: Food insecurity growing problem in Florida amid possible SNAP cutbacks
Okeechobee County had the highest figure, with 17% of the population considered food insecure.
Here are the other food insecurity figures for each of our counties:
- Palm Beach: 12.8%
- Martin: 13.2%
- St. Lucie: 13.3%
- Indian River: 13.9%
The problem affects a wide range of families and people, both working and non-working.
We found that in Palm Beach County, there are about 150 food pantries and distribution sites that offer food to people in need.
One of those sites is at the United Haitian Baptist Church on Parker Avenue in West Palm Beach.
It was there that we spoke to Enrique Valentine, who lined up before sunrise for a food pantry distribution.
We first met Valentine six months ago at the church, where, once a week, free food is handed out.
Valentine, who said he's on a fixed retirement income, used to spend about $135 at the supermarket each week. Now he spends about $50 and comes to the food bank for the rest.
"Every week it's different," Valentine said. "Eggs, milk, groceries, chicken, meat."
Veronica Morris told WPTV she comes to the church every couple of weeks to feed her children.
"I come here when I can, when I don't have money, to get groceries to get food," Morris said. "Sometimes I don't have money. Sometimes when I'm not working, I have to come here to get food."
We spoke to Dr. Craig Gundersen at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, who is an expert on food insecurity.
He told WPTV that poverty and disability are the biggest reasons for the problem, which affects about 3.2 million Florida residents, or 14.4% of the state's residents.
"I'm a huge fan of charitable food assistance," Gundersen said. "If it wasn't for these front-line people, we'd be in a lot worse shape."
The organizers at the Haitian Baptist Church said the number of people showing up for food has grown in the last few months. They said shipments for food have become smaller, and fears over cuts to federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), such as food assistance, are adding to the anxiety.
"A large portion of this cutback in SNAP, is not a cutback in SNAP," Gundersen said. "It's rather that the states have to take on the payment. Personally, I'm not a big fan of that. I think it should all be federally funded, but just as long as states have to put their money in, it really won't affect anything."
When WPTV asked for your feedback on food insecurity, the topic of SNAP benefits came up a lot.
SNAP, or commonly known as food stamps, helps feed more than 40 million families in the United States.
Under the current proposal in President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," it could cut those benefits by one-third.
Under the bill, work requirements would extend to parents with kids over the age of 7 years old and to older adults up to age 64. Right now, the current age requirement is 54.
While cutting these benefits would save taxpayers money, the states would be left to fill part of that deficit.
