Ahead of the holidays, local food banks and pantries are straining to meet unprecedented demand. As inflation has risen over the last several years, so has food insecurity. According to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, one in eight Georgians are food insecure.
“People are paying more for gas and groceries, housing costs are up, healthcare costs, and all of that is putting tremendous pressure on middle-class families and low-income families,” Kyle Waide, CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, told FOX 5.
Demand at the Atlanta Community Food Bank has risen 60% since 2022. That figure jumps to 70% for the Community Assistance Center, which serves Dunwoody and Sandy Springs.
“Those are impressive numbers but in the wrong way,” Francis Horton, CEO of the Community Assistance Center, said.
Both organizations say the increased demand is due in part to a shifting clientele. According to Horton, 67% of people coming to the Community Assistance Center for help in the last year and a half …