Food Pantry Patrons Face βToo Much Month at the End of Their Moneyβ NYT - Home Page By: Audra D. S. Burch 18 October 2026 at 09:00 Food inflation, gas prices and cuts to federal benefits have created a βperfect stormβ for food pantries, which have become vital parts of the family budget for millions of Americans. Β© Eze Amos for The New York TimesβPeople are hungry, and they are scared,β said Chris Manno, who volunteers and shops at a food pantry in Virginia.