YORK, Pa. — The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank says the demand they saw in the first six months of this year mirrored the demand they saw in the first six months of 2021.
“We had felt that perhaps by now as many people were back to work, things were changing a little bit in the economy, that things would start to calm down," said Food Bank spokesperson Amy Hill. "But shockingly there’s still very high levels of food insecurity in central Pennsylvania."
The Food Bank believes the inflation we’re experiencing, especially at the grocery store is pushing people to the limit.
“Something that people don’t fully understand is how many of the people we serve are working full time, sometimes a couple of jobs, even," said Hill. "And it’s still not enough to pay all of the bills and enough to get to the grocery store."
They say they’re doing everything they can to meet the demand, but their costs are going up as well.
“In the past, we might’ve had more truckloads of donated food that we could share," said Hill. "Now, we’re having to buy it."
The price of fuel is also impacting operations at the Food Bank.
“We have a fleet of 30 tractor trailers that go back and forth everyday from our warehouses to get that food out in the community, to get it close to people live," Hill said. "So, there’s quite a squeeze in just the operational expenses, in trying to get the food delivered."
The Food Bank says the community can help by providing financial support, volunteering and raising awareness.