Local food pantries are in danger of running out of food

FORT LAUDERDALE - The Salvation Army in Fort Lauderdale is now asking the public for help with donations.  

"We're in dire need of food donations. Bring a can, bring a small pack of hamburgers, bring something," Stephen Long, Salvation Army Major and Area Commander pleaded.

While food pantries are struggling to fill shelves, food banks are also facing similar issues.

"The rising food prices are really causing a huge logistical and supply chain issue across the country, as fuel prices go up, transportation goes up," Paco Velez, Feeding South Florida CEO told CBS 4.

Feeding South Florida is part of the Feeding America Network, and in April it was estimated within a 6-month period that 55% of its food banks reported donations were down.  The non-profit is asking for money gifts to continue to buy the same amount of food.

Farmshare is also asking for money and donations to keep up.  It tells us it's expecting to go back to pre-pandemic levels of food. Multiple federal programs had increased food help during the peak of the pandemic so that in 2020 it was receiving over 18 million pounds of food, it's been going down, now in 2022 it's about 10 million pounds, and projected to be only 5-7 million in 2023 for Miami-Dade County.  

"With COVID we've had enough medical crisis, but to add to that hunger and the lack of nutritional value, we don't want to see that happen," Long added.  

While meats and milk may run out early during food distribution at the Fort Lauderdale facility, Long said he was hopeful that people would come to their aid soon.