Dear Editor:
Since the start of the pandemic through the end of the year, more than 600,000 additional Pennsylvanians turned to their local food banks for help --- some for the first time.
That surge has not slowed, with food banks still serving record numbers of individuals. Demand is up almost 10 percent for assistance in 2021, while the food supply has decreased by more than 30 percent since fall 2020.
That trend won’t change anytime soon. Many seeking help are low-income residents who aren’t necessarily going back to the same jobs or same level of income they had before.
Our food banks can’t go back to pre-pandemic funding levels, either. But that’s largely what the state’s proposed 2021-22 budget would do.
Demand is still raging across the state. Increased funding for food assistance is essential to ensure we continue to meet this incredible need among our most vulnerable residents.
Sincerely,
Sheila Christopher, Executive Director
Hunger-Free Pennsylvania
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