COLUMBUS, Ind. — Local food pantries say they continue to see increasing numbers of people seeking help with groceries even after a record surge in demand earlier this year when federal unemployment aid expired.
Last month, Love Chapel served about 4,400 people, including about 1,050 families, which is an increase of 250 people since August and more than 1,350 since July, said Kelly Daugherty, Love Chapel executive director.
The organization has seen an increase in demand each of the past four months, but the most dramatic increase so far was in August after $600 in weekly federal unemployment aid expired.
Currently, Love Chapel is seeing “a lot of new folks,” especially last month and during the early part of this month, Daugherty said.
“That’s troubling to me, that we’re seeing new folks that are now in a situation where they’re hurting,” he said.
Love Chapel, however, is not the only food pantry operating in Columbus that has seen an increase in demand over the course of the pandemic.
Indianapolis-based Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana held a food distribution at Columbus Municipal Airport on Nov. 11 with enough food for 550 families, said Becky Voelz, a local service manager at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.
But they ran out of food in about 30 to 45 minutes and had to turn people away, Voelz said.
“It was not a fun time,” she said. “The worst thing to say is, ‘I’m sorry, we’re out of food.'”
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
