It is one thing to be told there is anecdotal evidence the need for support of food banks is only growing. It is quite another to learn there is hard proof. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, Ohio food banks are seeing record-breaking amounts of need. In part because of changes to the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, advocates say growing needs are not being met.

According to the Southeast Ohio Foodbank, approximately 1 in 6 people in the region are affected by food insecurity.

“Rising food prices, the end of SNAP Emergency Allotments, wage stagnation and underemployment have contributed to the increased need for emergency food services in the region,” the organization says.

While many of us are preparing for a holiday feast, other families are wondering how they will afford their next meal.

“The SE Ohio Foodbank … has been hard at work to meet the increased demand for services in the community, while also facing a decrease in the amount of nutritious food available to distribute,” SE Ohio Foodbank reports.

As foodbank officials continue to work on behalf of vulnerable families, all the rest of us can do is give what we can.

For those becoming numb to the pleas for support this season, consider that such an onslaught of requests is a worrying sign of the depth of the struggles faced by too many in our midst.

If you can, do something about it.