In the News ... "West Texas Food Bank seeing effects of inflation"

• The food bank is also in need of volunteers

By Kim Smith, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - With gas prices nearing $5 a gallon and a gallon of milk going for nearly $4, inflation is impacting everyone across the Permian Basin and the West Texas Food Bank is seeing it play out on a weekly basis.

The food bank is seeing about 500 cars a week coming through the pantry, numbers not seen since April 2020, at the start of the pandemic, said Craig Stoker, director of marketing for the food bank.

“Our numbers dropped when people started going back to work and they started being able to find things at the grocery store again. We went down to about 300 a week, but since the beginning of the year they started picking up again and the lines have been getting longer and longer and longer,” Stoker said.

Last week, 537 vehicles came through, he said.

Luckily, Stoker said grocery stores have resumed donating again and monetary donations have never fallen off, but food bank officials are concerned about the ever-increasing price of fuel.

Transportation costs have risen about 35% and the food bank distributes donated and purchased food across 34,000 square miles, Stoker said.

Further complicating the issue, the food bank stopped charging some of its smaller agencies for deliveries during the pandemic because they couldn’t afford it and only a few have resumed paying it, Stoker said.

The community has always been generous toward the food bank and Stoker said he hopes that will continue, but he also hopes those who have never made a donation will consider doing so now.

The food bank is also in need of volunteers; many have gotten out of the habit since COVID-19 struck, he said ...

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