Pantry use in May 2022 was up 60% compared to 2021.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Money’s tight for a lot of families right now; there’s no way around that.
Inflation and rising fuel costs are just a few reasons families might be struggling to put food on the table, and there’s more people dealing with that reality than you might expect.
According to the Des Moines Area Religious Council, visits to their pantries in April were up 40% from last year’s numbers. In May, visits increased 60% compared to May 2021. DMARC employees said there’s no sign of these trends slowing down any time soon.
“With children being out of school as well, we always see kind of a bump in use in the summer. I think we’re going to continue to see higher numbers throughout the summer and into the fall,” said Luke Elzinga, Communications & Advocacy Manager for DMARC.
In April and May, more than 1,000 people made their …