Nationwide the demand has soared by 40%, according to Feeding America, a network of over 200 food banks. Locally, the situation took proportions you could only imagine in an apocalyptic Hollywood production. In the Pittsburgh (PA) area one food bank saw line of cars stretch for many miles.
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Last Thursday, just before Easter, a San Antonio (TX) food bank made headlines worldwide as it distributed aid packages to 10,000 families in one day, over 60% more than had registered initially. People were waiting in their cars throughout the day in order to get help, first drivers even had even come the night before to be among the first served. In rural Kirbyville (TX) things are looking even more bleak as demand has been doubling (!) every week, growing exponentially, just like the impact of COVID-19. Meanwhile, people are coming to the local food bank from as far as 50 miles away.
These images are troubling even without context, but there's also the issue of meeting future demand, as the surge is expected to continue. The above mentioned San Antonio food bank had to rely on its extra stock to organise most recent distribution event, but without help from outside it's expected to turn empty in just 3 weeks. Executives have already applied for $12 million in aid with the Department of Emergency Management, but fear it might be impossible to avoid help from the National Guard eventually. Soldiers were already sent to Pittsburgh in order to ensure fast distribution of goods.
