Food banks see more volunteers, but uncertainty looms

By HALELUYA HADERO
AP Business Writer

Inside the bustling New York Common Pantry, people hustle to assemble bags of carrots, apples, potatoes and other items. Outside the food pantry, others are hauling deliveries or handing out produce to people lined around the block of the Manhattan-based charity. More people are volunteering at the pantry this holiday season compared to the last, when vaccines weren’t yet widely available. But the numbers still fall short of how many people lent their time prior to the pandemic. The same is happening at other charities, though the new variant has brought with it uncertainties about what looms ahead.