Higher food prices worsen hunger crisis this holiday season

WASHINGTON (AP) — What many Americans hoped would be the first normal holiday season in three years has instead been thrown into crisis by inflation, with Christmas on the horizon. Food banks and charities across the country are reporting higher than expected levels of food insecurity as prices rise and food becomes less accessible to millions of American families. Although the pandemic has largely faded, months of rising prices have driven working families back to the food bank lines. And that’s left charitable organizations struggling to meet the demand.