Carbon County has a growing food problem.

On Wednesday, Nicole Folino, community services manager at Second Harvest Food Bank, told the Carbon Collaborative Board that the current food insecurity rate in Carbon County is 13.1% and grows annually by approximately 1%.

To help individuals and families in need, Second Harvest oversees 14 food pantries throughout the county, nine of which are overseen by Shepherd’s House Group. Shepherd’s House oversees the purchasing agreement with the state and works with Second Harvest to distribute the food items supplied.

The problem, Folino said, is that these food pantries are typically only open one to two times per month.

In addition to the pantries, Second Harvest also oversees five senior box sites through the supplemental commodity food program operated by the federal government; has two veteran sites and distributes any bonus or donated foods to the distribution center for the pantries.

Folino said that those programs show the need is there.

For the veterans military share program, the two sites — one in Lehighton and one in Weatherly — serve a combined 350 veterans.

“That has made a huge impact in our veterans facing food insecurity because it creates a space for them to go that is stigma free,” Folino said. “A lot of veterans are challenged by going to food pantries. They feel that maybe it’s not for them, that other people have more needs, but we know that they also are facing food insecurity at high levels.”

The two sites, both located in American Legions, provide locations for veterans that are already veteran-centered.

Folino noted that due to the challenges senior citizens face, and since Carbon County has a high older adult population, Second Harvest is looking at venturing into a senior food delivery program through the Senior Box program.

One large challenge Second Harvest and the area food pantries are seeing though is that while the overall population is aging in Carbon County, so are the pantry directors, which could eventually lead to shortages in staff being able to operate a pantry.

She asked the collaborative if there are any community organizations that could serve as additional access points for these pantries to help with operations and make pantries more accessible to families in need.

For example, a Lansford group is working to expand the Panther Valley Food Pantry into a community center.

In addition a new pantry site has opened in Beaver Meadows that is open more often.

Until then, Folino said Second Harvest is committed to work to continue helping families meet their food needs.

For more information on pantries, visit https://shfblv.org/findfood.