CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – Food pantries and food banks have seen an increase in demand this year, and the need is expected to grow as we head into the winter months.

“We’re kind of terrified of what the holidays are going to look like this year, because that’s often the only time of year we’ll see some people,” Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry Executive Director Jane Colony Mills said.

Loaves & Fishes posted on social media Tuesday, October 24, that it won’t be able to give out turkeys this Thanksgiving.

“We don’t have lots of storage and we don’t have room to store 2,500 turkeys,” the executive director said.

Les Sinclair with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank says pantries that are forgoing turkeys are now able to spend that money to buy more food for those who need it.

The Salvation Army says it is anticipating more people at its annual Thanksgiving meal.

“Last year, we had 257. This year, we’re expecting that and more,” Development Director Jim Battaglia said.

Loaves & Fishes is expecting to serve more families throughout the holiday season. It has seen a monthly average of 9,000 people each month.

“We’re not really sure what’s going to happen, and we just want to be sure that we have enough food to give to anyone who comes here for help,” Colony Mills said.

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