The economic recovery being touted at higher levels of government isn’t reaching too many in our midst.

That’s the biggest takeaway to be had from the news that the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania has seen a 25.3% increase in the level of need over the last year and a 33% increase in need for help over the past four years across its service territory. The food bank partners with most of the food programs available in Warren County.

There may be no better statistic to show what’s happening to rural economies than the increase in need seen by food banks. People’s paychecks aren’t going as far as they used to, and more people are turning to food banks for help. It doesn’t help that Pennsylvania is leading the country in rising food costs, according to a recent Consumer Affairs report, while food insecurity nationally is at its highest levels since 2014, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. Those statistics say there is a need for state officials to do more in lowering food costs in Pennsylvania because the need is even more acute here than it is elsewhere.

We can’t argue with food bank officials who are looking to the U.S. Farm Bill to help by spending more on emergency food assistance programs. But stamping out inflation has to be part of the solution too – or else constantly increasing prices will have even more people looking for help from agencies like the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania.

There are a lot of people struggling. It’s time to hear some real solutions out of those who are asking for votes at election time rather than just waiting for inflation to subside.