This week on Florida Matters, we explore inflation and its impact on the Tampa Bay economy, particularly around the holidays.
With the holidays around the corner, you may be making travel plans, thinking of gifts to buy for friends and family, and what to serve at the Thanksgiving table.
In the Tampa Bay region, nearly one million residents are food insecure -- that is, they have trouble getting enough food to eat -- and about 1.75 million are struggling financially.
That’s according to Thomas Mantz, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay. His organization works with more than 450 food banks and other nonprofits and last year distributed more than 95 million meals.
Mantz tells host Matthew Peddie the need for food is even greater than before. And with inflation driving up the cost of gas and groceries, it’s putting more pressure on people in need, and on the organizations that provide the food.
Later in the show, Michael Snipes, an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus, explains how inflation affects the Tampa Bay region’s economy.
You can listen to the full conversations by clicking on the “Listen” button above. Or you can listen on the WUSF app under “Programs & Podcasts.”
