In Polk County, Iowa, the Urbandale Food Pantry started giving out turkeys and Thanksgiving sides weeks ago. Demand was so high, with over 2,000 families visiting so far this month, that the pantry ran through its allotment of Thanksgiving staples.
Fortunately, additional funding, including donations from the community, meant the pantry could continue to supply Thanksgiving items.
But the high demand at Urbandale is emblematic of what many food pantries and organizations are seeing this year: increased need, as high prices squeeze Americans’ wallets and many families are still recovering from the interruption in SNAP benefits because of the government shutdown.
“This month