Over the last three years, Eastern Kentucky has been hit by a pandemic, a historic flood – and inflation. In Isom, a small community in Letcher County, many are struggling with inflation that has raised the prices on seemingly everything.
On an August weekday just after noon, business is steady at the Isom IGA lunch counter. Some get theirs to go; while others take their meal to the small dining room facing the parking lot. Ten yards away, at a slightly slower pace, customers ring up their groceries at cashier-staffed and self-check out registers.
Kenneth Mullins, raised five miles down the road, is one of many who are very glad the flood-stricken grocery reopened in April. Until then, he was making 90-minute round-trips to Pikeville or Virginia for groceries. The gas money he saved from shorter trips is being spent elsewhere.
“I'm 73 years old; I'm on retirement anyway so I feel sorry for the young people, you know, around here.”
“Things are double now from what they was two years ago around here, and poor people you know, they just can’t afford it.”
Ernie Caudill, who lives in nearby Jeremiah, shares those concerns.
“It's not easy because I'm retired and we're on a fixed income. So that does you know, it doesn't make life easy. That's for sure. Gas prices, everything going up.”
Dianna Adams says she moved to the Isom area when she was 12. She’s 60 now and looks after two grandchildren while their parents work. She says her food bill has tripled since the beginning of the pandemic.
“I can go all day long without eating and don't bother me. But, you know, they're like, you got to have breakfast and you got to have snacks and they want lunch and, you know, and you're not gonna turn your grandkids down. You're going to provide them for what they want.”
Phillip Breeding lives in nearby Blackie. He says he traded in his 6-cylinder vehicle for a 4-cylinder to save money on gas. He says, “I don’t buy like I used to and I don’t go like I used to” and notes some pandemic-era support programs have ended.
“I sure wish the government would start helping people more. They need it so bad especially in this part of the country.”
“What would you like to see done?”
“They need to help the poor people you know, homes shelter, stuff, stuff like that.”
None of the four blame the Isom IGA for their prices. Unprompted, two praise store co-owner Gwen Christon for her many kindnesses. She began working there 50 years ago and 25 years later, she and her husband bought the grocery. Their son Simon is the manager. He says their store isn’t large enough to make room for loss-leaders the bigger groceries have – and it hurts to see their customers cope with higher prices.
“I've personally seen people have buggies of essential things like milk and water, and they come to check out and they see the total. And then you got to put some of those things back because they can't take them home with them because they just don't have the money. So it's just it's so hard to see.”
Simon says they won’t let anyone go hungry.
Statistics show the rate of inflation is half what it was in June of last year – but try telling that to people still recovering from last year’s flood. Asked for solutions, Bill Caudill suggests term limits for members of Congress. Others suggest wholesale changes on Capitol Hill – and the White House. Whatever the solution, until things get better, many folks in the Isom area will continue to abide by Kenneth Mullins’ motto.
“Just watch the way you spend your money and hope for the best.”
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