WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. -- A Grant County food pantry is seeing record demand this holiday season.
Helping Hands in Williamstown is a non-profit organization supported by local churches.
The growing need reflects a new national report that finds more than one in seven American households struggled to put enough food on the the table in 2008.
Like many in Northern Kentucky, Lois Adkins has fallen on hard times. So now the mother of three has turned to Grant County Helping Hands in Williamstown for support.
"They've really helped me.They gave us food when no one else would. They gave us love when no one else would. They've been there for us," said Lois Adkins of Grant County.
The non-profit organization is supported by 25 local churches in grant county. Twice a week they open their doors. Their demand has doubled in the last year.
"We are seeing so many people every day that have never had to come to something like this to get food. They always had their paycheck every week and now they are without and they are coming here for the first time in their lives," said Mason Barker, the director of Grant County Helping Hands.
Tuesday morning the shelves of the food pantry were getting pretty low.
"We were probably down about a 100 cans of food on the shelves," said Barker.
By Tuesday afternoon, A surprise came their way courtesy of the Williamstown Christian Church.
One hundred fifty bags of food were delivered after the church held a community food drive.
"We go out through the community ask people to leave a donation and then we go back and pick up the bags left out on the steps and bring them here hopefully in time to be passed out for Thanksgiving," said Tom Watkins with Williamstown Christian Church.
The food will last for about two weeks but volunteers aren't worried about when their next supply will come.
"They'll be bare and I'm sure that God will fill them back up again. We've been blessed that people hear the need and they answer the need," said Barker.
This Thursday, the FreestoreFoodbank will bring a large truck of food for Thanksgiving dinners, but the pantry is still in need due to the increased numbers this year.
Helping Hands also accepts:
They especially need baby related items including diapers, clothing and food.
For more information, call Helping Hands at (859)823-0286.
