Food pantries see surge in demand during government shutdown, ahead of holidays
Between the last week of October and first week of this month, Long Island Cares pantries saw huge increases in the number of families they served.
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Food pantries across Long Island are seeing a surge in demand.
Food banks say they're preparing to help even more people as we head into the holidays.
"We fill up in the morning. Our truck comes here to bring donations and everything and by midday around 12, everything is gone," says Reyna Felix, program coordinator of Nassau Center for Collaborative Assistance, Freeport for Long Island Cares.
This has become the recent reality for the Long Island Cares food pantries in Freeport and Valley Stream.
"They definitely start getting worried like no SNAP, no food. Thanksgiving is around the corner," says Felix.
Between the last week of October and first week of this month, Long Island Cares pantries saw substantial increases in the number of families they served.
Valley Stream: +120%
Huntington Station: +65%
Lindenhurst: +44%
Bethpage: +23%
Freeport: +11%
Hampton Bays: -21%
Food pantries say they also saw an increase in demand around the same time last year, but not like this.
"It's a lot, the increase. You can definitely feel it," says Felix.
At Island Harvest Food Bank, the pantries they support are saying the same.
"We hear from them every day that they're running close to empty if not empty on the shelves," says President Randi Shubin Dresner.
Island Harvest lost $4 million in federal funding. The money would've been used to buy food.
They're also preparing to support thousands this holiday season.
"It's unbelievable. But we know the need is even greater than what we've been gearing up for," says Shubin Dresner.
