DOVER, Del. - As rising prices continue to stretch household budgets, food assistance organizations across Delaware say they are seeing more families turn to food pantries for help.
Community leaders, local pantry organizers, and the Food Bank of Delaware gathered outside Legislative Hall on Tuesday to highlight the growing demand for food assistance and call for continued state support.
Pat Lawrence, who helps organize the PODD Pantry at The Pentecostals of Dover, said the impact of higher grocery and housing costs is becoming more visible every day.
"With the costs of groceries and rents and everything, everyone is really struggling," Lawrence said. "We are having more and more people come in and they're looking for more resources."
Advocates say many Delaware families are struggling to keep up with rising costs for food, gas, rent, and other everyday essentials — leading more people to seek help from local pantries and assistance programs.
Food Bank of Delaware President Cathy Kanefsky said inflation is affecting both families and the organizations trying to support them.
"As we get through each month, we are also seeing higher fuel prices. So for our trucks on the road, we have to put gas in those trucks," Kanefsky said. "So gas prices, food prices, all the things that are hitting families so hard are hitting us as well."
Advocates are now urging lawmakers to continue investing in food assistance programs through the state budget as demand continues to grow.
"We need to make sure that there is money in the state budget for food and for the increased need for us to be able to meet it," Kanefsky said.
Local pantry leaders say partnerships between community organizations, volunteers and statewide networks remain critical to helping families avoid falling through the cracks.
"We are a team," Lawrence said. "We're all just one leg of a whole part."
Advocates say they are not just asking lawmakers to listen — but urging them to take action.
