Pandemic, inflation keeps need for assistance for El Paso families

EL PASO, Texas -- Inflation has been hitting many people hard with rising gas and food prices, driving more people to go to food banks.

But the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger food bank has been hit especially hard. 

According to the Food Bank, many more people started coming to the bank in need of help when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. But there hasn't been a drop in the number of people coming here over the last year as people returned to their jobs and places began reopening.

The spokesman attributed this to the continuing rise of the costs of food due to inflation.

"We're experiencing a drastic reduction in financial support; donations here in the community, as well as a real challenge in finding food supplies across the nation, and ultimately the cost of inflation, transportation, diesel, etc, are really making things difficult for this food bank, and ultimately making it hard for us to feed the community," said Susan Goodell, the food bank's CEO.

Goodell added that one of the easiest ways to help the food bank is to volunteer, which takes place in four-hour shifts.