Demand for food assistance rises while government support declines

By Florence Edwards-Miller, GCC director of communications and annual giving

The line at Goodman Community Center’s food pantry snakes out the door. Customers arrive before the door even opens, soaking in a bit of final fall sunshine from benches and leaning against walls. It’s a typical weekday for the Fritz Food Pantry, which has seen a rising growth in demand for years. And it’s also a typical sight at each of two dozen food pantries in the Madison area.

Leaders from area food pantries and food banks all say the need for assistance is at a record high and expected to spike higher. At the same time, there is less food available for pantries to distribute, and it’s becoming more expensive. Left in between this rock-and-a-hard-place are anxious food pantry customers and the pantry staff and volunteers who struggle to feed them.

Kristopher Tazelaar, media and public relations manager for Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, acknowledges many of the conditions that created this growing crisis originate thousands of miles away, in Washington D.C.

“The increased federal support that helped food banks and food pantries meet the rising number of families facing hunger during COVID has ended, but the need has not,” Tazelaar said.

A federal feast

During the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions in 2020 and 2021, public officials anticipated a dangerous rise in hunger. Millions of people were laid off or furloughed. Millions of school children who had received one or more meals at school were now at home. Older adults feared going out in public to get food. Restaurants closed, sending shockwaves through the food production system. In response, the federal government issued additional billions of dollars in nutrition assistance aimed at keeping people fed and the food system secure.

Much of the extra money went to SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program often called Food Stamps. This money was made available directly to individuals in the form of food purchasing assistance.

In addition to helping individuals directly, a significant amount of money was used to expand systems that provided food to people in need. One program is The Emergency Food Assistance Program. It authorizes funds for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy food that is then given to the states to distribute. The states in turn provide it to organizations like food banks. A local example is Second Harvest, which distributes food to pantries at free or reduced costs. Several other federal programs provided food directly or indirectly while also supporting farmers. Some of these have been cut.

In response to both the rising need and funding, pantries and other sources of food for the needy increased capacity, expanding services and sometimes adding physical space to accommodate more customers and more food.

An epidemic of food insecurity

Even though the coronavirus pandemic ebbed, economic disruptions continued to reverberate through society. Many who lost jobs during the pandemic didn’t return to work — or at least at the same income. For those who were employed, soaring inflation and rent costs bit deeply into budgets. Food pantries that had experienced record growth during the pandemic didn’t see a corresponding decline in use after it was over. In fact, many saw a gradual increase in demand.

“When families’ budgets get stretched, food is often the first thing to get cut,” Francesca Frisque, director of community food resources at Goodman Community Center, said. “They have to put gas in their car to get to work or school; they have to pay rent to keep a roof over their head, so the only major expense to cut is food. Then they end up coming to the pantry.”

Impacting both individuals and food pantries, the price of food has soared after the pandemic. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ Consumer Price

Index for All Urban Consumers shows the steepest incline in food prices in U.S. cities was between 2021 and 2023. That’s greater than at any time since 1913, when the records began being kept. Nor is there any relief in sight. In August 2025, the CPI for all food was up 3.2% from August 2024, while the all-items CPI increased by 2.9% over the same period. Feeding a family is more expensive than ever.

“I think it’s a common misconception that people who are using social safety nets are not working,” Allison Dungan, GCC’s food pantry manager, said. “Some of our busiest pantry times are on Wednesday evenings and Thursday afternoons with people coming to supplement their food after a full-day’s work. It’s a matter of paychecks not keeping up with costs.”

Increased food cost and economic instability also impact nongovernmental sources of food for pantries. Grocery stores have long been a major source of free food for pantries, with store managers working closely with pantries to off-load excess or soon-to-be expired products. But with consumers reacting to higher food prices, grocery stores are under increasing pressure to reduce waste. They are tracking their orders more carefully, leading to less excess and smaller food donations to pantries.

“I like dropping off bread at the pantry, but our bosses have been (telling us) not to make so much (bread),” one Madison-area grocery worker said, who didn’t wish to be named. “They’re cutting costs all over, with self-checkout and stuff. I don’t want to be next (in getting cut).”

A federal famine

Despite the continued food insecurity crisis, President Donald Trump’s administration during his second term has not extended pandemic-era funding increases and has also dramatically cut the budgets of numerous programs stocking food pantries and providing food to American families.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program, which was a major source for pantry shelves, was cut by $500 million, while other programs were canceled outright. The abrupt defunding not only cut off food, but it also disrupted the whole supply chain that stocked food pantries. The distribution systems that channeled USDA-selected food through the states to the pantries can’t be readily replaced, so pantries, like consumers, are searching for sources of food and paying inflated retail prices to get it.

“We’re working with our existing retail partners to make sure that they know everything we can accept,” Helen Osborn-Senatus, River Food Pantry’s director of operations, said. “We’re seeing if they can help us get items at cost. We’re also searching for new retail partners. We’re also really leaning into the food drives and trying to get creative with those.”

At the same time as pantries are struggling to find food, families are likely to become increasingly reliant on their services. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by Trump in July reduces SNAP aid by what is anticipated to be $186 billion over the next 10 years. Expanded work requirements and fewer exemptions will mean that fewer people qualify for SNAP benefits. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 1.4 million people will be cut off per month once the changes are fully in effect. The CBO also estimates that 600,000 households will have their benefits cut by around $100 per month.

Weaving a new safety net

With some federal cuts already fully in effect, and others expected to roll out over the next months and years, customers and food pantry staff are bracing for impending changes.

The role of community contributions to combat food insecurity is now more important than ever. From churches organizing food drives to gardeners’ produce to individuals donating bags of groceries, food pantries are increasingly reliant on goodwill to keep feeding customers.

“It’s easy to feel powerless right now,” Noah Salata, GCC’s vice president of philanthropy and community development, said. “But giving to shore up the food system is something that anyone can do — and it makes a huge difference.”

Fritz Food Pantry staff are quick to emphasize that every bit helps, everywhere.

“Obviously, I like it when people give to our pantry,” Frisque said, “But I’m happy to hear when someone donates to any food pantry.”

If you are looking to take action on food insecurity, consider helping GCC’s Thanksgiving Basket Drive. Visit the Thanksgiving Basket Drive webpage for details and items needed.