By Jay Worrall

President, Helping Harvest

Yes, the federal government shutdown has been resolved, and Pennsylvania’s budget has been passed. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients are once again receiving their monthly benefits. These are small victories worth celebrating.

But let me be clear: We are facing the most critical period of food insecurity since the COVID-19 pandemic.

And we cannot afford to make the same mistake we made back then.

As the worst of the pandemic lockdowns, furloughs and layoffs subsided, many of us in the charitable food system believed that with some return to normalcy, the demand for food assistance would decrease. We were wrong. What we thought was temporary became permanent. We’ve been living in a “new normal” ever since.

Our distribution numbers tell the story. We’ve never returned to pre-pandemic levels of need. Instead, demand has climbed relentlessly. In 2021, Helping Harvest distributed nearly $11.8 million worth of food. In 2022, over $14.8 million. In 2023, nearly $17 million. In 2024, almost $20.7 million. Already in 2025, we’ve distributed over $19 million worth of food, and that upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing.

This October was the single busiest month we’ve seen since the pandemic, with 1,130,976 pounds of food distributed throughout our service territory. Only June 2020 — at the height of the COVID-19 crisis — surpassed it at 1,157,928 pounds. In Schuylkill County alone, we hit our highest numbers ever: 284,466 pounds of food distributed in October, far exceeding even our previous record of 251,521 pounds in November 2022.

So why didn’t demand decrease after COVID restrictions ended? And why won’t it decrease now that the government shutdown is over and SNAP benefits have resumed?

In short, soaring prices at the grocery store — largely due to inflation — aren’t going away. Every month, grocery bills creep a little higher, thereby making it harder for more families to put adequate food on the table, even when they have reliable income streams.

For folks who were already food insecure, the uncertainty around SNAP benefits (as well as the pause in payments during the government shutdown) has only made them feel more insecure. This means that many neighbors are turning to us on a more regular basis to ensure they can feed their families.

Another reason that demand likely won’t decrease anytime soon is related to awareness, as simple as that sounds. Because of the recent focus on food insecurity, more neighbors are now aware of supports that are available to them, and they will likely continue to use those supports for the foreseeable future. Additionally, this increased visibility has helped reduce the stigma related to asking for — or needing — help.

During the government shutdown, as SNAP payments were paused, our partners saw a surge of new neighbors at distributions. Families that previously scraped by on their incomes or benefits alone suddenly couldn’t make it work. Food insecurity became front-page news. Community members, organizations and media outlets shared information about food assistance more widely than ever before.

The impact was immediate and dramatic. Our online Food Map saw a 160% spike in traffic. Daily calls from neighbors seeking help quadrupled — on our busiest days, we couldn’t answer phones fast enough, even with extra staff and volunteers fielding calls. Mobile Markets that typically serve 250 families suddenly welcomed more than 400.

Now that SNAP benefits are restored, will these new neighbors simply disappear? History tells us they won’t. The COVID crisis taught us that lesson. Many SNAP recipients still struggle to afford adequate, nutritious food. And all those families who just discovered that help exists, and who were treated with respect and dignity when they came to one of our partners for food, will remember where to turn when they need it.

Here’s what concerns me most: We’re already operating at crisis levels, and we haven’t yet absorbed the full impact of this recent surge. The demand isn’t going to recede. In all likelihood, it’s going to grow.

We’ve been overwhelmed — in the best way — by our community’s response over these past weeks. Volunteer inquiries have exploded. Financial and food donations have increased. The generosity has been remarkable.

But this fight isn’t over. Like in 2020, we must prepare for a new baseline of need. The difference is, this time we know what’s coming. And we’re asking for your continued support before the crisis deepens.

Every dollar donated makes a difference for neighbors in need. Every volunteer hour helps us serve more families. Every pound of food donated goes directly to someone struggling to feed their household.

The need won’t diminish because the headlines have moved on. But neither will our commitment to meeting it, as long as our community continues to stand with us.

Find out how you can join us in the fight against hunger at helpingharvest.org.

Jay Worrall is the president of Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank, the Feeding America partner serving Berks and Schuylkill counties.