By Jim Guffey, Executive Director
One of the things I’ve learned during my time at SHIM is that financial hardship rarely arrives all at once.
More often, it arrives one bill at a time.
A rent increase. A higher utility bill. Rising grocery costs. Childcare expenses. The rising cost of gasoline. A prescription that isn’t fully covered by insurance.
Individually, none of these expenses may seem overwhelming. Together, they can become impossible.
At some point, the math simply stops working.
Over the past several months, SHIM has seen this reality play out in real time. Since December, monthly usage of our food pantry has increased by approximately 10%.
The people seeking help now are no different from the people who sought help a year ago. Many are working. Many are raising families. Many are doing everything they can to budget carefully and make responsible financial decisions.
What’s changing is the margin for error.
What we’re seeing locally reflects broader trends across Pennsylvania and the nation. According to Feeding America, more than 1.7 million Pennsylvanians experience food insecurity, including more than 140,000 residents of Allegheny County. Recent national data underscore the growing severity of the problem. In a May 2026 NPR report, researchers found that food insecurity in the United States is now higher than it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more families reporting skipped meals, reliance on food donations, and difficulty affording groceries.
The report noted that hunger has reached its highest level in six years, highlighting the ongoing economic pressures facing working families and communities across the country.
But behind those numbers are real people.
A parent who picks up an extra shift but still struggles to cover groceries after paying rent and utilities. A senior living on a fixed income whose monthly expenses continue to rise. A family balancing childcare, transportation, healthcare costs and household bills with little room left in the budget for unexpected expenses.
For many households, the challenge is not one crisis. It’s the cumulative effect of many pressures occurring at the same time – and it can happen even when there isn’t a government shutdown or a war that drives up gas prices.
When families encounter temporary setbacks, organizations like SHIM help stabilize households, connect people with resources and prevent small challenges from becoming larger crises.
Transportation challenges – including but not limited to rising fuel costs — are an important part of this conversation. For families juggling multiple jobs, caring for children or older relatives, or relying on public transit, accessing food assistance is not always simple. That’s one reason SHIM recently installed food lockers that allow families to access nutritious food at times that fit their schedules. The lockers provide a more flexible and convenient option for people whose work schedules, transportation limitations or family responsibilities make traditional pantry hours difficult.
Importantly, this work does more than address immediate needs. It strengthens our entire community.
Earlier this year, SHIM released an economic and community impact report prepared by Tripp Umbach, a nationally recognized firm specializing in economic and social impact analysis. The findings confirmed what many of us witness every day: investments in people create lasting benefits for the entire community.
The report found that SHIM’s programs generate $12.8 million in societal cost savings each year. Perhaps most strikingly, for every $1 spent by SHIM, $3 in cost savings is generated for Allegheny County through reduced public costs and stronger outcomes for the individuals and families we serve.
Those findings reinforce something we know from experience. When families have access to food, support services and opportunities to build stability, communities benefit. Children are better prepared to succeed in school. Parents are better able to remain in the workforce. Seniors are better able to maintain their independence.
Allegheny County has long recognized that investing in human services strengthens communities and improves outcomes for residents. We are grateful for that partnership. As county leaders work through difficult budget decisions in the months ahead, we hope the conversation remains focused not only on costs, but also on the measurable value these investments create for families, communities and taxpayers.
After all, the needs facing families are not diminishing. The increase we’re seeing in our food pantry is a reminder that many households continue to face significant financial pressures, even in a relatively strong economy. The question before all of us—government, nonprofits, businesses, foundations and individual donors—is how we continue building a community where families have the support they need to thrive.
