JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) — A food pantry in southern Indiana saw record numbers this week of people in need of food.
This week has been busier than usual for the Center for Lay Ministries food pantry in Jeffersonville. They served 130 households Tuesday, which is more than they've ever served before in one day.
"That does not include everybody in their household, that is just the 130 people through the door on that given day," said executive director Kara Brown.
Some households can be as large as 14 people. They served a household that large on Friday.
They've served more than 500 clients in the first week of August alone. Brown said it's her eighth year at the pantry and the need has grown substantially. Since January, they've welcomed around 1,000 new clients.
"There were days when I first started here that we would see 15 people, and 30 people was really busy. That was 2018. Here, we fast forward to 2026, and the slow day is 60 people and a busy day is now 130," she said.
Brown said there could be several factors that go into the drastic increase, including students going back to school and parents needing to prioritize school supplies.
"The budget gets stretched more and more, right? As a family, as a parent, you're trying to do all the things to provide for your children and food is just one piece of that puzzle of all the things you need," she said.
She added it could also be the price of groceries, stating this week she left with two bags of groceries that cost $80.
"I'm thinking to myself 'what did I just buy that I'm carrying out like this?' I feel like everybody feels that pinch," she said.
The pantry always needs donations, but with the influx of people this week it's more important now than ever.
"We're not a grocery, we are a food pantry. We are dependent on our retail partners who donate items to us, on all the pieces it takes. The hunger is real," said Brown.
You can bring food items directly to the shelter located on Maple Street in Jeffersonville.
Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
