Donations Down, Need Rising At Local Food Banks

MILWAUKEE - John Smith has been a volunteer, but now he's the one whose cupboards are bare. "It really hit me hard," Smith explained. "All of a sudden I said, 'wow,' I just don't have the cash because everything is so expensive." Smith got groceries from the emergency food bank at Milwaukee Christian Center on Milwaukee's South Side. While they were able to help, the pantry is running low. "The food used to be stored up to here. Over here, it was as high as these pallets,” coordinator Barbara Ray-Velazquez showed TODAY'S TMJ4 reporter Tom Murray. "We used to get about 15 new people a month. Now, it's gone up to 45-50 new people a month,” Volunteers may be forced to put fewer items in each grocery bag to make their supply last. The shortage at the Christian Center trickles down from suppliers. It is one of more than a thousand... [read full story]