Multiple life situations drive someone to seek the help of a food pantry.
Divorce, a job change, a medical emergency, and inflation are all reasons why more people are having difficulty feeding their families.
In Kootenai County, one out of every ten people is hungry. In Spokane County, that statistic increases to one in eight people. Food insecurity is a reality for many families across the Inland Northwest. Locally, we have resources that can play a big role in aiding some of the challenges.
2nd Harvest is a non-profit that feeds people across 21 counties in Washington and 5 counties in Idaho. The organization has food banks, meal sites, and even mobile markets that help them serve rural communities. After the pandemic, staff expected to see their demand drop off. This was not the case.
“So, as a food banker, you just want to be optimistic that things are going to get better. We thought we had gotten through the COVID problems and thought that might alleviate the need and the hunger. Unfortunately, it hasn’t,” said Eric Williams of 2nd Harvest Inland Northwest.