Food banks struggle to meet unexpected demand

DES MOINES, Iowa – Food banks across the country are seeing a rising demand for free groceries despite the growing economy, leading some charities to reduce the amount of food they offer each family.

U.S. food banks are expected to give away about 4 billion pounds of food this year, more than double the amount provided a decade ago, according to Feeding America, the nation’s primary food bank network. The group gave away 3.8 billion pounds in 2013.

While reliance on food banks exploded when the economy tanked in 2008, groups said demand continues to rise year after year, leaving them scrambling to find more food.

“We get lines of people every day, starting at 6:30 in the morning,” said Sheila Moore, who oversees food distribution at The Storehouse, the largest pantry in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and one where food distribution has climbed 15 percent in the past year.

Across the country in Gloucester, Massachusetts, The Open Door food pantry has given away 7.6 percent more food this summer than last, said the organization’s executive director, Julie LaFontaine.

“There’s always a real hustle and bustle,” she said.

James Ziliak, who founded the Center for Poverty Research at the University of Kentucky, said the increased demand is surprising since the economy is growing and unemployment has dropped from 10 percent during the recession to 5.3 percent last month.

However, many people who have found jobs are working only part-time or for low wages, and others have stopped looking for work.

“People who have low-wage jobs, who aren’t receiving regular raises, are finding those earnings stretched thin,” Ziliak said.

The drop in food stamp rolls by nearly 2.5 million people from recession levels could be contributing to the food bank demand, he said, because people who no longer qualify for government aid may still not earn enough to pay their bills.

According to the U.S. Labor Department, wages and salaries rose only 0.2 percent in the second quarter of the year.