Hawaiʻi residents are facing rising costs on everything from gas to groceries. Hawaiʻi Foodbank CEO and President Amy Miller said more people are seeking food assistance — many for the first time — with demand now exceeding levels seen during the height of the pandemic.

Economist Paul Brewbaker said Hawaiʻi residents are spending 50% more on groceries compared to two years ago. He said a barrage of biological and policy shocks — like avian flu, the pandemic recovery, Maui wildfires, wars and tariffs — has pushed prices out of reach for many household budgets.