‘Do I buy food for my family, or do I buy diapers?’

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Diaper Bank for Northeast Florida talks local impacts amid higher-than-anticipated Consumer Price Index.

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A surprising inflation report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the Consumer Price Index higher than anticipated: up 8.3 percent in August over the previous year.

That means consumer goods and services we all buy are continuing to get more expensive. The following list by the Labor Department shows what goods and services saw the highest cost increases:

Gas: 25.6%

Electricity: 15.8%

Food at home: 13.5%

New cars: 10.1%

Food away from home: 8.0%

Shelter: 6.2%

Apparel: 5.1%

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“Families are still feeling the ripple effect of the pandemic. But also, the rising cost of diapers,” Crystal Parks, founder of the Diaper Bank for Northeast Florida said. “If you were struggling to afford diapers pre-pandemic, I would imagine that you’re having an even more difficult time trying to purchase them.”

It’s been a busy several years for Parks and the diaper bank. She says the pandemic made it harder for families already struggling to afford diapers for their children, and now, lingering inflation is compounding that need.

“You have families who are trying to determine, ‘do I buy food for my family, or do I buy diapers?’ That’s where diaper need comes in,” she explained. Parks says the diaper bank distributed a record-breaking number of diapers this year, 215,750. Compared to last year’s 159,980, a nearly 35 percent increase year over year.

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With National Diaper Need Awareness Week beginning September 24, Parks hopes the community will help families in need.

“I put myself in the shoes of a mom who doesn’t have that, and that’s why I do what I do,” she said. The Federal Reserve will likely hike interest rates at least three-quarters of a point next week in an attempt to lower inflation by making borrowing money more expensive.

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