SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Food pantries throughout the region are as strained as ever. With Thanksgiving approaching, the Food Bank of South Jersey said demand now is greater than during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Families’ budgets have taken a hit as costs keep climbing. Food Bank of South Jersey CEO Fred Wasiak said their expenses are up too.
“We’re paying roughly around 20% more in food purchasing costs,” he said, and they are serving more than 100,000 families every month.
“That is a new high,” he noted, “but again, it speaks to the demand and the need that not only our communities in South Jersey but throughout the state and throughout the country.”
The food pantry is asking for donations — either food, money or time spent volunteering. Wasiak advised people to reach out to the food pantry nearest to them to help.
“More than the caring, the comfort, the nourishment and medicine of food, this time of year we really want to ensure families have that opportunity to celebrate their traditions with healthy, nutritious food at the table,” he added.
The Food Bank of South Jersey will distribute at least 22,000 turkeys with trimmings ahead of the holiday. Donations will be collected this weekend.