NORFOLK, Va. — Foodbanks in Hampton Roads have seen an increase in the need for food over the last few years.
“Before this year, the most we ever did was about 19.1 million pounds of food in a fiscal year. For this fiscal year, we’re trending towards 21 million pounds,” said David Brandt with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.
At times, they’ve watched donations shrink.
“Unfortunately after the holidays, donations tend to drop off tremendously," said Donna Tighe, the director of development for the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.
As foodbanks continue to feed residents in Hampton Roads, directors noticed another challenge that could come their way once families return to their regular SNAP benefit amount in March.
Last week, eligible Virginians received their last payments of additional SNAP benefits.
Staff at the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore said they’re monitoring the need. They recently hired another member to the food sourcing team to find the food they need. However, leaders at the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank are telling a different story.
“We’re anticipating even more families reaching out for help,” Tighe said
Tighe said after comparing January 2022 to this past January, the foodbank has seen an increase in need of up to 32%.
“So, that’s almost a thousand more households a month,” she said.
Tighe said the foodbank is purchasing more food now than ever before.
“We knew this was temporary," Brandt said. "We knew at some point, it was going to go away. All we can do is pivot as best we can.”