Food stores at the Griffin Salvation Army are dwindling to empty.

The center’s Rebecca Butler says food pantry stocks are at historic lows.

“We’re basically out of everything. Usually you have at least corn or green beans or tomatoes, some sort of tomato product--either sauce or some kind of product like that.”

But not this year.

The pantry began 2012 having collected 10,000 food items short of their goal.

The economic downturn has a double impact. Less food is collected while more Georgians are in need. This lack of access is known as food-insecurity.

According recently published to USDA data, 15 percent of the US households were food insecure in 2011. Two-thirds of food-insecure families are at increased risk for health and developmental conditions.

For now, the Griffin Salvation Army will continue to seek help from the community. Butler says that donations have already started to pick up. If that trend continues, less of those in need will be turned away as the holiday peak season approaches.

Tags: Griffin, Food Insecurity, Salvation Army