Food Bank Struggling to Help Local Pantries

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story by Courtney Fischer

TRI-STATE - The Tri-State Food Bank feeds thousands a month by giving to local pantries. But NEWS 25 learns the groups that take the food are struggling to keep their doors open.

Monday morning and the food bank shelves are full. It's a rare sight these days.

"What you see in here now is going to move out very quickly," says Executive Director, Mary Blair.

The food here goes to pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters across the Tri-State: 234 organizations to be exact. Those organizations are spread out over 33 counties. The food bank feeds 180,000 people a month--that's an increase over this time last year.

Blair says donations are down. The stock food bank buys for pantries is getting to be more and more expensive. Those pantries are having trouble paying the food bank for food.

"They see a lot of people coming through their pantries so they need as much help as they can get," says Blair.

Who's hurting the worst? A pantry out of McLean County, Kentucky lost its building because it couldn't pay the bills. Tri-State Food Bank started a "mobile pantry," stocking the van, bringing food to the residents. McLean County is 16 percent poverty stricken.

"We just went through a period where we didn't have very much here--it's starting to fill up."

Another challenge: since local companies started laying off, new groups of people are asking for food.

"We have seen just since the end of June, a 20 percent increase," Blair says.

That increase comes after last year's 35 percent increase.

As we approach the holidays, Blair says she's feeling confident Tri-Staters will find a way to help those less fortunate.

After January 1st, the need starts all over again.

"Hunger doesn't end at the end of the holidays."

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