Some families are facing an increased struggle to make ends meet. February marked the end of a boost in SNAP benefits. The emergency allotment was a piece of pandemic aid.

Homes using the benefit had an extra $95 or the maximum benefit for the size of their family, whichever was larger according to the USDA. Now without that extra money to shop for food, the community is seeing an increased need.

The Salvation Army of Syracuse says its emergency food pantry has seen a 25% increase in use from January through April as compared to last year. Salvation Army officials also shared April’s use of the pantry alone was about 40% higher than last year.

Christina Thornton, director of emergency and practical assistance services with the Salvation Army of Syracuse, says the reduction in SNAP benefits and the increasing prices has led to the demand for food.

“We have seen a lot more families, a lot of families that didn’t need the pantry before that are now coming back and saying ‘yeah, I need this service,’ ” said Thornton. “It’s really just the increase in food prices; a dollar doesn’t go as far when you’re shopping for food as it used to.”

The pantry has also been running low on food bank funding to get food into the community. Its current funds are meant to last through June, but the pantry is relying more on donations now than it has in the past. But officials do their best to keep a selection on the shelves for their consumers.

According to the Salvation Army, from January to April, it fed 5,000 people and gave out 73,000 food items. The Salvation Army gives 15 meals to families each month, with all the dietary staples.