The Greater Lansing Food Bank, or GLFB, saw a higher demand for food and funds this holiday season, Executive Director Sharon Krinock said. The organization funds 22 food pantries and 37 human service organizations with money.

“Thanksgiving and Christmas are over, but people still need to eat,” Krinock said. “Hunger never takes a holiday.”

Both the GLFB and the American Red Cross Regional Food Distribution Center noticed increases in the demand for food in October. Smith said an increase in food prices has made food unaffordable for many people. At the same time, increasing food prices means food banks, which are nonprofit organizations, have to pay more for food as well.

“I do think it’s sad how many people are going without food or not eating healthy diets because they can’t afford to put food on the table,” Smith said. “The Lansing area is a very giving community, but are there enough people to give?”

Winter is an especially hard season for people walking the poverty line, since heating bills must be paid and medical expenses increase during flu season.

About 46 percent of people who come to the Ingham County Food Bank have either full- or part-time jobs, said Ingham County Food Bank Coordinator Mary Meirndorf. Those who work part-time often have two or three jobs, and as gas prices increase people must pay more to get to and from work, she said. Rising oil prices also mean heating bills increase, and Smith said many local organizations that help people pay their heating bills are out of money.

On campus, the MSU Student Food Bank serves about 250 MSU students each week. Although the group doesn’t operate during school breaks, it has felt the pinch from reduced food resources as well. The food bank has six employees and 15-20 volunteers, and it had to hire another staff person because of an increase in clients during fall semester.

“The amount of food we have is dependent on the Red Cross, which hasn’t had as much food this year,” MSU Student Food Bank Director Kristin Moretto said. “Our distribution is busier, we’ve all had to work a little harder … but we’re managing.”

The MSU Student Food Bank is a food pantry that gives out food to MSU students registered with the program. Any MSU student who doesn’t have a meal plan is eligible to apply for the Student Food Bank, which hands out food every Tuesday.

The Red Cross distribution center funds about 200 programs in seven counties in Mid-Michigan. That organization and the GLFB are food banks, organizations which give money and food to smaller food pantries and soup kitchens.

“As long as gas prices and the cost of heating fuel remains the same, as long as people have to make the choice between medicine and food, as long as unemployment continues there won’t be an end in sight,” Smith said.