COLUMBIA, S.C. — Several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, food banks are still feeling strained to serve families in need.
"Our regular number of volunteers dropped about 80 percent because of a lot of them are in the vulnerable population," said Taylor Davids, development and communications specialist for Harvest Hope Food Bank.
The mission of the Harvest Hope Food Bank is to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in South Carolina. However, the pandemic has made it difficult for them to recruit volunteers to get the job done.
Davids said the food bank served more than 11,000 people relying on them last month.
"If anyone has driven down Shop Road from I-77 into town towards the stadium, you see our lines on Monday and Wednesday mornings," Davids said. "Sometimes, the lines wrap around Beltline and down Beltline."
One volunteer who has been working at Harvest Hope for a year and a half says she has seen how the pandemic has impacted families.
"I would have never realized how many people are suffering if I wasn't working here," said Mary Gallagher.
The Columbia Emergency Food Pantry drive-thru increased 14.3 percent from August through September. Davids said those numbers might spike during the holidays.
Two USC students volunteering on Tuesday were initially there for class projects but left with a new understanding.
"I think it does change a lot when you come to see what you're learning," Dillon Wingo said. "For my community nutrition course, we can read all we want, but once you see the amount of food that needs sorting and the line of people, that's the difference."
"I didn't realize how many people use this food bank," Landen Eidson said. "I've never really seen the logistics. Now, I'm going to drive-by to see how long the lines are because that's a lot of people."