When Sally Gonzalez’ apartment was damaged in a fire in March, she and her daughter lost most of their belongings, including a bed purchased just that day. But as they grappled with the unexpected expense, they found themselves in dire need of another necessity: food.

Friends from church suggested The Sharing Center in Longwood could help them back on their feet. Now the Gonzalez duo visit the food pantry there, the largest in Seminole County, monthly to keep their shelves stocked. They’re part of a growing group.

“Right now, food is very expensive,” said Gonzalez, of Winter Springs. “Between bread, meat and anything else, you’re talking about $100, and that goes toward our rent. So it’s been really hard.”

Charities throughout Central Florida say the region’s rising population of working poor is especially desperate for help.

This past year The Sharing Center handed out 2.3 million pounds of food to needy families, up 27% from the year prior. In the first two months of its current fiscal year, which began in October, demand is up another 37%, said Matt Borchelt, the chief operating officer.

On average, the food pantry now serves about 45 families per day, up from about 25 families per day earlier in 2023.

Gonzalez said last week she arrived at the Longwood nonprofit by 10 a.m. and was 25th in line to be served. Many more people showed up behind her, she said.

“Families who may not be able to pay their rent and buy food for the month, we’re able to give them food for the month so they can stay in their house,” Borchelt said. “It’s the demographic that does everything right: They’re still working, they make enough not to qualify for government benefits, but also not enough to sustain on their own.”

Many of their new clients are working people who have an unexpected major expense, like a medical bill or rent increase, Borchelt said.

Gonzalez, 68, said her monthly food bag usually includes rice, beans, flour, chicken, ground beef, vegetables, hygiene products and other necessities she and her daughter depend on.

The need for food has spiked across Central Florida.

At the Osceola Council on Aging, which runs food pantries in St. Cloud and Kissimmee, the demand has soared recently, said Warren Hougland, the senior vice president for community action services.

“It’s always been a high demand, but it’s never been at the top demand for services,” he said. “But over the past six months it has turned into my No.1 demanded service, which has kind of taken me aback.”

Hougland said the group’s food pantries feed roughly 2,500 families in Osceola each month, a number which has nearly doubled over the past six months. That rings up a bill of about $40,000 every two months on food alone, he said.

Food pantries like those run by The Sharing Center and the Osceola Council on Aging mainly buy food from Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, which distributed 81 million meals last year and supplied food to 625 community organizations.

With the private donations and government grants they receive, the charities also shop in grocery stores to meet the growing need.

However, those dollars don’t go as far as they used to, as the nation faces growing food and grocery prices. So far this year, food prices have risen about 5.8%, and are expected to continue growing next year.

Inflation is easing, though, as food prices increased 2.9% in November, compared with the same month last year. The same prices grew 10.7% from November 2021 until 2022, according to NerdWallet.

The need for food comes as Central Florida faces a severe shortage of apartments and homes and rents have skyrocketed in recent years.

Without the food pantry, Hougland said most of the council’s clients would be forced to choose between feeding their families, or keeping a roof over their head.

“Most all of my people are very low-income,” he said. “[Groceries] are a major line item in their budget. So you’re feeding three kids and you’re trying to keep the lights on in a house, and trying to keep a roof over your head – it all adds up,”

rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com