SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Food Bank is a lifeline for families in our area, and it’s now seeing a rise in demand as lines are getting longer with more people facing a rise in rent, utilities and gas costs.
Volunteers are filling trunks of cars with boxes of food, milk and fruits to help nourish families every day.
“It’s directly related to this economic impact of inflation,” said Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank.
Summers are already busy since children are out of school and more meals are made at home, and now inflation is leading to even more demand.
“We typically see about 90,000 people a week. That number has now gone over 100,000 a week looking for food,” Cooper said.
To put that into perspective, the food bank served 120,000 people a week during the pandemic shutdown when many people could not work.
This time around, many are employed, but the wages aren’t enough to make ends meet.
“They can’t afford to put food on the table and pay their utility bills, so they’re coming to us,” Cooper said.
Inflation is also leading to another challenge at the food bank -- there’s less food on the shelves.
“The supply chain is still disrupted. Our costs for transportation logistics have gone up, and there’s less food for us to source in this environment,” Cooper said.
Despite the struggle, the food bank is not giving up on families.
“We will do what we can to make sure those needs are met. So families, if you’re struggling, reach out to the food bank. Call us, (go) online, or come in,” Cooper said.
For more information, click here to visit the San Antonio Food Bank website.
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