Eggs getting too pricey to buy? Here's how a St. Johns nonprofit is cracking the problem.

How do you like your eggs? Affordable, say many seniors on fixed incomes who have long counted eggs as staples but in recent months found them too costly to buy.

A nonprofit working to end senior hunger in St. Johns County has launched a campaign to get them their eggs.

"Eggs rank right up there with tomatoes as one of the most sought-after items and this was before the prices shot up," said Malea Guiriba, founder and executive director of Pie in the Sky Community Alliance. "So with prices continuing to rise, seniors are being priced out more than ever before for this protein-rich food that is important for their health."

'God bless them':St. Johns nonprofit delivers fresh produce to low-income, food-insecure seniors

Senior hunger: 'I go without food sometimes'

The nonprofit's Eggs for Seniors campaign is seeking donations to give at least one dozen eggs every month to each of the almost 540 seniors the nonprofit currently serves. Doing so would cost about $1,800, with eggs provided by the nonprofit's regular food suppliers at a discount.

"Our goal, quite simply, is to deliver the freshest, healthiest, most nutritional food to the homes of our senior neighbors in need so that can stay healthy, stay out of the hospital and become more likely to age in place with the dignity they deserve," Guiriba said.

One of Pie in the Sky's clients, 80-year-old Margaret Woods, said she had long gone without eggs because of the rising cost. To have eggs again, she said, "You just don't know how much it would mean to me, I could have a good-ole egg sandwich, they are my favorite."

What happened to the price of eggs?

The cost of eggs was up 60% in December compared to a year earlier. Last year the average retail price for a dozen large Grade A eggs in the U.S. was $1.93 in January. By December the price surged to $4.25, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Behind the rising prices were an increase in holiday demand, higher production costs for farmers and an outbreak of bird flu, a highly contagious virus that can be fatal to poultry such as chickens and turkeys.

Wholesale prices have since dropped by about 50% in the U.S., but when retail prices will do the same is uncertain. Retail prices typically take an average of four weeks to respond to such wholesale price changes, analysts said, but increased egg demand leading up to Easter complicates matters.

Egg-scuse me, this carton is how much?'Here's why egg prices are soaring across the US

Why are groceries so expensive? Here's what we know about food prices in 2023.

Even before the price jump, donations of eggs were not a regular occurrence at small food-based nonprofits or large foodbanks. "Every once in a while we get eggs," Guiriba said.

To ensure food safety, Feeding Northeast Florida, the Jacksonville-based regional food bank, can only accept eggs from food-industry donors and vendors, as opposed to private food drives. "Eggs don’t get donated through our normal channels very often," according to the food bank.

In 2020, Cowford Chophouse and Cal-Maine Foods donated 1 million eggs, and in 2022 the food bank purchased a load of eggs from a nonprofit called Hatch for Hunger. This year they expect truckloads in April and June from the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program.

"Other than that, it will be pretty low quantities … in our inventory," according to Feeding Northeast Florida. "The recent very high cost of eggs has impacted the available supply in many areas, and unfortunately the food bank sector is no exception."

What is Pie in the Sky?

Founded seven years ago, the nonprofit serves St. Johns County seniors with annual incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line. For a one-person household, that's $29,160 a year; two-person, $39,440, according to 2023 figures.

Volunteers deliver fresh produce, nonperishable food items, other essential items and a bit of socializing to them every two weeks on 38 routes. Guiriba started out with four volunteers and 12 clients; now she leads almost 100 volunteers who bring food to 537 seniors.

In 2022 the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund, a longtime supporter, gave Pie in the Sky a "capacity building grant," with the fund providing a $25,000 match to funds raised. They met the match and got $50,000. This year another Weaver grant will be a 2-1 match and could bring in $75,000.

Movers for Meals:Program aids hundreds of St. Johns County seniors for Thanksgiving

Last year the nonprofit reached capacity in its current quarters but, with the help of the Weaver money, was able to incorporate adjacent warehouse space.

"Because of the funding … we do not have a waiting list. We are able to help every single senior who calls," Guiriba said.

Pie in the Sky "always finds a way, and that goes a long way toward helping seniors have hope," she said. "Being the one constant in a revolving door of change helps get our seniors through. At Pie we always say, 'It’s about so much more than just food.'"

Baptist Health partners the nonprofit and other organizations to "ensure seniors are receiving the nourishment and social connection they need to flourish," said Kyle Reese, chairman of the health system's Social Responsibility and Community Health Committee.

"For a community to thrive, health inequities must be addressed, and basic needs must be met," Reese said. "That’s why Baptist Health strategically invests in difference-making initiatives in our community such as the Pie in the Sky Community Alliance fresh produce delivery service for low-income seniors. The best way to accomplish this vitally important work is together."

How many seniors need help?

As many as 30,000 Northeast Florida seniors live below the poverty line, with U.S. Census Bureau figures showing nearly 6 million nationwide. In St. Johns County, at least 6,000 seniors meet Pie in the Sky's 200% below poverty line criteria, despite the county's reputation as one of the richest in Florida.

"Most of our seniors pay more than 70% of their income toward housing expenses, which also puts them into the severely rent-burdened category," Guiriba said.

"As the remnants of COVID continue to impact our seniors, along with rising inflation, seniors on fixed incomes are hurting more than ever," she said. "The few grocery dollars they had now buy even less with the cost of many basic items like milk, cheese and eggs going up …. The cracks we normally fill in were rapidly becoming abysses."

'A beautiful thing': Artistic peace pole auction to benefit St. Johns County nonprofit

Pie in the Sky responded by giving them 50% more fresh produce — "filling in the abyss by filling the bags even more," she said. Although produce prices have risen about 34% in the past year, giving the seniors produce for a year costs less than $2 per day.

Also, with help from a Hagen Family Foundation grant, the nonprofit has added dry beans to the seniors' food deliveries. They are "rich in protein and other important vitamins and minerals and our seniors love them," she said.

Is life getting any better for seniors, with the pandemic easing?

Yes, and no.

"Last year was a little better for our seniors as far as being able to get out more. Still, most are reluctant to go out too much and of course many lack transportation to do so," Guiriba said.

And inflation is hitting them hard.

"They are feeling the impact … more than most, and our survey bears this out," she said. "Where fresh produce was unaffordable before, now you can add other items such as milk, cheese, and eggs into the mix. Seniors feel it and it is hitting them hard. Our goal is to lessen that impact in as many ways as possible."

"Our seniors depend on the food we bring them. One senior recently said, 'I wouldn’t eat if you didn’t bring me food'," Guiriba said. Another said, "The food is important, and I am so grateful, but it is the hope you bring that keeps me going, too."

How do I donate to the Pie in the Sky Eggs for Seniors program or get help?

To donate online go to pieintheskystjohns.charityproud.org/Donate/?cid=15762. To get help, volunteer or get more information, go to pieintheskystjohns.org or call (904) 382-9939, mail 134 Riberia St., Unit 4, St. Augustine, FL 32084 or email malea@pieintheskystjohns.org.

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Pie in the Sky nonprofit delivers eggs to St. Johns County seniors