ST. LOUIS — More and more families are struggling with food insecurity while donations at St. Louis-area food banks are down significantly. While the demand is high, the supply is low during food banks' busiest time of the year.
Meredith Knopp, St. Louis Area Foodbank President and CEO, said during this season of giving fewer and fewer people are able to do so.
"It's really hard to get donations this year, so our food donations are down, our financial donations are down," she said.
According to the St. Louis Area Foodbank, donations are down by 16% while the need is up by 11%. On top of that, the cost of getting the food they need to distribute is up by 144%.
That's because, according to Knopp, dollars aren't stretching as far as they used to with inflation continuing to rise.
"We're seeing a lot of families, a lot of working families saying that is just not working right now, so we are trying to help out," she said.
Helping out is harder this year though for the St. Louis Area Foodbank because, according to Knopp, food banks across the country are struggling to make ends meet.
"During the pandemic, we were very grateful that there was funding that was released, and the USDA kicked in with more food, and so now we're doing this without a net, so quite literally, it is the perfect storm. Need is high, demand is high, and resources are low," she said.
Cars lined the parking lot outside of Busch Stadium for the St. Louis Area Foodbank's 6th annual 'Thanksgiving Together' event.
Knopp said people were lined up as early as two hours before the drive-thru distribution because the need was so great.
"We're trying to ease that burden, so people don't have to choose between having a Thanksgiving meal or paying their heat or paying their medical bills," she said.
According to Sarah Kramer, Ameren's Director of Corporate Philanthropy and Community Impact, this is the company's fourth year volunteering with the food bank.
"The need right now is significant and it is persistent. The donations to the food bank are actually down while the need continues to escalate," she said.
Kramer said Ameren is hoping to lessen that burden by pledging to match any donation to the food bank, up to $200,000 through Nov. 20.
"People you wouldn't even expect to have a need do, and that's why this relationship is so important, and this is why we're asking the community to come together with us just to step up and give back," she said.
Whether it's big or small, Knopp said, every gift counts when you're keeping families' plates full.
"Be a gift and a blessing to someone else this holiday season. There is no greater gift," she said.
This time of year, Knopp said, the St. Louis Area Foodbank is always nervous they'll run out of food.
She said the best way you can help them right now is through financial donations.