Food Bank of the Rockies sees increased need at mobile pantries across metro [Video]

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Twice a month, Denver resident Crystal Castaneda makes the drive to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. There, she joins the rows of cars in line for the Food Bank of the Rockies’s mobile food pantry. As a family of five living in a time of inflation, she said, the extra help is a blessing.

“Sometimes the money can be tight,” she told Denver7. “It’s helped so much.”

New USDA data reveals a troubling rise in food insecurity, with 47 million people in the U.S. now affected — the highest rate since 2014.

This echoes what Food Bank of the Rockies is experiencing, as a growing number of people are seeking help at its mobile pantries and partner locations.

“These are neighbors who are otherwise having to make really tough choices — like paying essential bills, like a medical expense or car repair, or being able to put …