By T. Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, Mo. – Summer months are usually a slow period for food pantries, but this year is creating an even bigger pinch.
Glen Koenen with the Circle of Concern pantry in West St. Louis County says kids with no school in the summer create a higher food demand but that's also when donors take vacations.
"This year we didn't get enough food in early on and demand is so much higher, we just haven't been able to stretch the food across these summer months, these lean months," Koenen said.
Koenen says the weak economy has food demand up 19-percent, but donations have only increased 3-percent. His pantry, Circle of Concern, is asking for boxed rice, canned peas, and fruit juice.
He also says he expects next summer to be even more desperate because of stagnant job growth.