WASHINGTON — Look one way, and the economy appears to be on a roll. Look another, and even the most basic needs are out of reach for a growing number of families.
At a time when the country’s economic output is humming and the Dow Jones Industrial Average tops 18,000, food banks report a spike in the number of families looking for something to put in their cupboards.
“The most immediate snapshot we have of demand are people calling into our hunger hotline,” says Nancy Roman, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank.
“Calls to that number are up 57 percent over last year, so there is unfortunately increased demand,” she says.
She cites the area’s cost of housing outpacing wage increases as being a key factor in pushing more families to the food bank.
The food bank now serves more than 540,000 people, according to data it just submitted to in a national survey. That figure is 11 percent high than the previous number.
While demand is up, some organizations that supply food to those in need report donations have dropped.
That is not the case for the Capital Area Food Bank, which has delivered 13 million pounds of food this year.
“Our donations are not keeping pace with what we’re distributing right now, but they’re higher than they were this time last year,” Roman says.
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