Rising cost of living makes it harder for families, seniors to put food on the table

In an ideal world, Valerie McBean would serve her family pork chops, roast or any other prime cut.

These days, things are far from ideal. Dinner typically includes ground beef or dark-meat chicken.

"The cheapest I can find -- so we can have more of it," said McBean, now the breadwinner of her family of six.

Getting by was tough even before her husband, Howard, stopped working because of a kidney disease that requires an armful of expensive medicine and gas-guzzling trips to Miami doctors.

With $3,000 in debt and a long line of bills, something's got to give. McBean turned to one of the more negotiable items in her budget: food.

The McBeans, of West Palm Beach, are like a growing number of working families and seniors in Palm Beach County, skimping on groceries or for the first time seeking donations to pad barren pantries. It is a trend fueled by the ever-increasing expense of living in South Florida, where salaries are stagnant and the effects of several fierce hurricanes persist.

"There are more people making hard decisions: Do you pay for the electric bill or buy food for the week? Do you pay for prescription drugs or food?" said Wendy Tippett, executive director of the nonprofit Adopt-A-Family.

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