Mike Wolanin | The Republic A view of non-perishable food goods at Love Chapel Food Pantry in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.
COLUMBUS, Ind. — Local food pantries are seeing an increase in the number of Bartholomew County residents turning to them for help with groceries this year as inflation continues to drive up prices and squeeze budgets.
Love Chapel, 292 Center St., served between 1,400 and 1,450 households each month this year, in what Kelly Daugherty, the organization’s executive director, described as “quite the roller coaster.”
By comparison, the organization served an average of 990 families per month last year and 750 families per month in 2021.
About 8,000 people are receiving some form of food assistance through Love Chapel, including care packages and other food programs, Daugherty said.
“We’ve never been in this stratosphere,” Daugherty said.
Additionally, officials at The Salvation Army in Columbus, 2525 Illinois St., said they also have seen an increase in the number of people seeking help with groceries for the first time.
Last month, the organization saw 44 new families seek help with food, which amounts to 120 people, said Nancy Johnson, social services manager at The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army served a total of 583 families in July, or 1,195 people, Johnson said.
In total, a combined roughly 9,200 people in Bartholomew County sought help for food at the two organizations in July, or roughly 11% of the county’s population, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
The high demand at local food pantries mirrors trends seen around the country as people struggle to make ends meet amid persistently high prices for food and other things.
For the complete story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
