(Radio Iowa) – Food banks across Iowa are struggling to keep up with increased demand as pandemic aid ends and SNAP benefits fall. Food Bank of Siouxland Director Jacob Wanderscheid says they’re getting fewer donations from Sioux City area residents and they’re getting only half as much food from U-S-D-A programs compared to last year, all while more and more people need help.

“We just can’t serve as many end users, so the guests at the food pantries may see less in the basket that they receive,” Wanderscheid says. “We may not necessarily be able to stay open for the full time that we’re advertising a pantry window.” He says they’re purchasing more food to try and fill the gap, but inflation means they’re spending 15-percent more for products. In Council Bluffs, more than half of the freezers at Care and Share Pantry are empty. They’re usually filled with meat, but director Carol Thein says it’s been hard to get all the protein the organization needs. She’s seen a near-50-percent increase in clients from this time last year.

“The food pantries, we’re all experiencing increased costs for utilities, and to rent the truck to get food and pay for the gas,” Thein says. “That’s just fewer dollars available to purchase food, but we’re not going to let that stop us.” As pandemic aid runs out, the U-S-D-A has decreased the amount of food it provides for the program Feeding America’s Food Banks. That leaves Thein questioning if her pantry should pare back on the food it gives away daily to continue service long-term.

(reporting by Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)