BERWICK, Pa. — There was a long line of vehicles in the former K-Mart parking lot in Berwick. They were here for a food giveaway.
"I think it's great they have this here. For people who don't have, like myself, I take for myself, I give to my neighbors, my niece, I try to spread it around for what I get because it's only me," Debra Giangirolami, of Berwick, said.
Not Bread Alone Food Ministries holds food distribution every Thursday in Berwick. Volunteers said the last few weeks have been considerably busier.
"We went from a few hundred people to now, we're between 1,700-1,900 people every week," Matthew Barwick said.
That's three times the number of people it usually serves. Barwick is in charge of the food distribution. He said with inflation at a 40-year high and gas prices on the rise, more people are in need of food.
"It has just laid a hurting on everybody. People that you wouldn't think would need are coming. They're saying I've never done this before, it's my first time," Barwick said.
"It's awful. Everything's going up, between gas, groceries. I don't know what percentage-wise, but it's getting really bad," Giangirolami said.
Barwick said his nonprofit has not had any problems getting food, and there is plenty to go around. Even so, he sees the need increasing as the summer continues.
"There was a car here waiting at 8 this morning when I got here already in line. That shows how they're willing to wait," Barwick said.
The group is here every Thursday and there are no income or location requirements. Everyone is welcome.
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