WINSTON-SALEM -- Officials with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina expect empty shelves to be an ongoing problem unless they find new, permanent sources of supplies.
The Winston-Salem Journal reported Friday the food bank ran out of food in July for the first time in its 28-year history. Officials told the 400 partner agencies in 18 counties there was no food for them.
The food bank had collected enough by July 24 to invite the agencies back this week.
The problem is likely to continue. Even though donations are up 15 percent this year, demand from the food bank's member agencies is up by 76 percent.
That's the highest percentage of increased requests among North Carolina's six Feeding America food banks. The others are averaging 50 percent increases.
