With the inflation rate rising to 7.9%, families across New York are struggling to make ends meet. For the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, rising food and gas prices are causing a surge in demand, as well as a need for more donations.

Before COVID-19, the food bank distributed 31 million pounds of food during a normal year. During the height of COVID, that number grew to 56 million pounds, or the equivalent of 42 million meals.

“We thought that was going to come down as we came out of COVID, but it has not come down much at all," Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York CEO Molly Nicol said. "We are now distributing 52 million pounds of food, so a very dramatic increase from that 31 million we used to deliver.”

With the rising costs of food, Nicol said the food bank has been spending at least 15% more than last year to obtain high-quality goods. They’ve also had to get creative to source alternative foods when their staple items are unavailable due to supply chain issues.

“Purchasing good sources of protein, but we might be buying a turkey breast, instead of a full turkey," said Nicol. "We might be buying ham instead of beef."

At the same time, they’ve had to spend more to distribute food.

The Northeastern Food Bank services more than 40% of the state, and their fuel expenditures have increased $5,000 more per month than this time last year.

“I’m not complaining," said Nicol. "I’m saying we will deliver that food. We will continue to deliver that food, but it’s a serious impact on our operations."

The food bank’s services are essential. They allow people to pay their bills and survive. But it needs help in the form of donations to keep going.

“One dollar provides us with enough food for four meals, so that one dollar goes a long way,” said Nicol.

If you’d like to contribute, you can do so here.