COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Rising grocery and gas prices are putting added pressure on families across southern Colorado, and one southeast Colorado Springs food pantry says the need is only continuing to grow.
At Solid Rock Community Development Corporation, pallets of food move quickly as hundreds of families rely on the pantry each week for support.
“We’ve tried to keep up with as much as we can, but it’s getting harder and harder,” said Yevgeniya Tsyganok, Food Service Manager at Solid Rock.
The pantry currently serves around 600 families a week, up from about 500 families before this winter’s SNAP food benefits freeze.
Tsyganok said even after, demand never returned to previous levels.
“Demand of high prices on food at grocery stores, gas prices going up right now, gas, electrical, water going up also, that’s been a concern of residents when they come in,” said Tsyganok.
For March, a pantry visitor, Solid Rock has become a lifeline after a serious biking accident left her unable to physically work the way she once could.
“I shattered my femur from my hip to my knee,” she said.
Now, she says rising costs are making daily life increasingly difficult.
“Everything is very, very out of reach, very expensive,” said March. “And it’s just getting worse.”
Solid Rock leaders say stories like hers are becoming more common. Tsyganok said many first-time visitors feel embarrassed walking through the doors for help.
“We have a lot of new people coming in and they’re ashamed to come into the building, but we are here to help,” said Tsyganok.
At the same time, the pantry itself is struggling to keep pace. Tsyganok said the pantry normally keeps about 32 pallets of food in the building, but recently dropped to around 20 pallets.
“It’s almost half of what we’re usually having, but we still keep up as much as we can,” she said.
The pantry is also facing a shortage of volunteers.
“We have five [volunteers] out there, and a normal shift is 12 volunteers,” said Tsyganok. “They’re the backbone of the operation. We can’t do it without them.”
Solid Rock says its biggest current needs include volunteers, food donations and hygiene products like diapers and toiletries.
“What started as an accident five years ago during COVID to be just a temporary COVID agency… we’ve become the place everybody goes to,” said Tsyganok. “We’re not just a resource for our community, we are a lifeline to our community now.”
If you would like to donate food, hygiene products or volunteer, visit Solid Rock Community Development Corporation's website.
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