CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. β The Chesterfield Food Bank Outreach Center on Iron Bridge Road continues serving hundreds of families weekly as grocery costs and recent economic challenges drive increased demand for food assistance.
Nearly 800 clients attended an emergency food distribution ahead of January's winter storm, with regular weekly distributions still serving around 600 people.
"We're still seeing strong numbers, but I will say that compared to the government shutdown, those numbers are down just a little bit," said Nicholas Jenkins, the food bank's community outreach and communications director.
Pantry Manager Joanne Jones said higher grocery costs and mounting bills have kept her busy filling bags of food for people in need.
"I thought after the government shutdown that things would kind of ease back down and go at a more even pace, but it seems like it's even increased more," Jones said.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the price of food at home purchased at the grocery store climbed 29.4% between March 2020 and December 2025. Grocery inflation has outpaced broader inflation since the pandemic began, with beef, coffee and eggs leading price growth during that time.
Higher food costs have impacted the Chesterfield Food Bank in multiple ways. Individual donations are down while grocery stores aren't offering as much surplus food as in the past.
"The grocery store industry is definitely trying to reduce waste, which is great. We want to celebrate that. But in the same aspect, as we pick up less from the stores, that means we either have to raise through food drives or through us actually purchasing food," Jenkins said.
Non-perishables including canned foods, peanut butter and jelly, and Hamburger Helper top the food bank's list for most requested items.
"We try not to buy canned food items since we pay by weight. Having to buy canned food items, dry food items β those prices can get a little bit higher for us. We do try to raise that through food drives," Jenkins said.
The Chesterfield Food Bank also serves more than 20 schools with mini pantries, giving students access to food and toiletries with dignity.
"If anyone's looking to get involved β we love to encourage people that every can counts, every dollar makes a difference, and every person can find a place to get involved... find out how you can help today," Jenkins said.
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