Rising food costs, job loss and cuts to benefits drive surge in need, while local grants fall short and federal support disappears

By Sydney Seymour, Ashland.news

The Ashland Community Food Bank experienced record high demand at the end of August, at one point serving 77 households in just three hours — almost double its average service rate. The month saw a 10% increase in customers overall, according to Executive Director Amy Broeker, who attributed the uptick to inflation in food costs and the loss of jobs. 

With just over a dozen volunteers that day, Broeker said, “We were just lucky that we had a large crew of volunteers when the demand happened.” 

As the food bank faces an increase in demand, it also faces a decrease in local grant support. 

In March 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture canceled $420 million worth of federal support for community food banks. While the Ashland food bank isn’t federally funded, Broeker said other federally funded food banks face cuts and seek the same local grants. 

“We simply didn’t get funded by some substantial grantors that we expected to this year,” Broeker said. “It was shocking.” 

She anticipates that high-demand day in August will become a future “routine.” Once Supplemental Nutritional Aid Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps) benefits become harder to access and other executive actions, such as reductions in low-income housing, take effect in the new year, Broeker estimates a 100% increase in demand. 

A similar situation occurred in the spring of 2023, Broeker recalled, when the food bank saw a 140% uptick in demand after SNAP benefits were reduced and COVID-19 protection programs such as eviction protection ended, as previously reported by Ashland.news. 

“If we start pushing food out the door that fast, we need money and we need food,” she said. “It’s not going to be sustainable.” 

The struggle for sustainable funding 

ACCESS food pantries — serving about 25,000 people annually throughout Jackson County and relying on about 400 volunteers to run 30 food pantries — have experienced a 19% decrease in federally allocated food over the last six months, ACCESS Chief Advancement Officer Kellie Battaglia said. At the same time, they’ve experienced a 27% increase in demand.

Even when grants are secured, Battaglia said, there’s a reduction in the amount. “They’re splitting dollars between more organizations,” she said. “Food banks are struggling and ACCESS is no different.” 

As hunger and food prices rise, so does the need for assistance 

The cost of food and other economic impacts have driven people who previously may not have needed food assistance to the pantry, Battaglia said.

Broeker also continues to mainly see clients who are workers unable to make ends meet at the Ashland food bank, but also more first-time clients and clients returning after years away. 

United Way’s “ALICE” category of low income — Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed — includes 44% of Ashland households and 54% of Talent’s. The food bank serves people from Ashland and Talent, 90% of whom are housed. 

“We don’t care if you see us for three years straight or for one visit,” she said, encouraging those in need to seek help before they are in crisis. “But we’re here to make sure that you can live in our community with a sense of security.” 

As the city’s food bank works to develop stronger, more “proactive” fundraising tactics, Broeker calls on the community to volunteer and for food and monetary donations. 

Battaglia particularly encourages others to support and reach out to local food banks during Hunger Action Month this September. 

“Our donors here in Jackson County keep us going,” she said. “We couldn’t survive without our donors. We’re really lucky. It takes a village to operate any food bank in any community.”

She continued, “Hunger is on the rise and the need for food assistance is on the rise. I don’t think there’s many more core human needs than just the basic necessity of food.”

Sept. 14: This story has been corrected to reflect that the photos were shared courtesy of the Ashland Community Food Bank and Medford ACCESS Food Pantry.

Email Ashland.news Snowden intern Sydney Seymour at [email protected]