Colorado Food Pantries Getting Far Less Bang For Their Buck

DENVER (CBS4) - If you feel a normal stop at the grocery store has become a little more expensive, you're right. Food costs have risen from a carton of milk to eggs, meat, and a loaf of bread.

Food pantries have seen an increase in people looking for those staples to put on the dinner table.

"What we're seeing is people are trying to make up lost rent payments, and paying back due bills, trying to get back on their feet," said Erin Pulling, CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies.

For many food pantries, the cost to provide those dinner staples has become more expensive as well. Pulling says the Food Bank of the Rockies are spending almost $1 million a month on food. Before the pandemic, they were spending roughly $300,000 or a third of that amount.

"That's due to increase need, increase cost of food, as well as a loss of some USDA government food sources that operated temporarily during COVID. So now we're replacing that food with the food we're purchasing. The fact of those three factors has resulted in this tripling in our food and freight expenses," Pulling said.

Even with the rising costs, the Food Bank of the Rockies is able to provide food for families with donated dollars. If you would like to donate, go to Food Bank of the Rockies.