The need for food by families in our community has grown dramatically, but the food supply has not come close to keeping up. We are now serving over 8,000 people a week compared to 3,000 a week at the beginning of last year, but unfortunately, food donations have actually decreased this year.
Why has the need grown? It has grown dramatically due largely to the high cost of groceries. People are not able to provide healthy food to their families because it is so expensive. And more expensive food is the same reason that food donations have decreased.
Loaves & Fishes has created a Food Supply Initiative and task force to address this issue. We are working on different ways and different methods to obtain additional food. We are seeking new food sources, such as wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, and retailers, to help us meet the demand.
How can the community help? You can help by donating healthy food, donating directly to the Virtual Food Drive on the Loaves & Fishes website, making a monetary donation, or connecting us to additional food sources that can help us source additional food.
We are thinking creatively to combat this challenge, so all your ideas and connections are welcome. With your help, we will be able to fill the food gap and continue to fight food insecurity in our community.