A combination of federal cuts to social service programs, the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, and stubborn inflation have led to record demand at food pantries. For people following medically necessary diets, finding safe food during these difficult times has been even more challenging.

At the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, the lines have been out the door. Raven Gayheart, the director of marketing and public relations, said they distributed 16 percent more food this past November than the year prior. So far this year, they’ve served 2.1 million visitors to the pantries in their network.

The shelves at the food bank are filled with fresh and shelf-stable goods, ranging from eggs to hot dogs, tomato soup, ramen noodles and macaroni-and-cheese. For most folks, there is plenty

See Full Page