MILWAUKEE - John Smith has been a volunteer, but now he's the one whose cupboards are bare.

"It really hit me hard," Smith explained. "All of a sudden I said, 'wow,' I just don't have the cash because everything is so expensive."

Smith got groceries from the emergency food bank at Milwaukee Christian Center on Milwaukee's south side. While they were able to help, the pantry is running low.

"The food used to be stored up to here. Over here, it was as high as these pallets,” coordinator Barbara Ray-Velazquez showed TODAY'S TMJ4 reporter Tom Murray. "We used to get about 15 new people a month. Now, it's gone up to 45-50 new people a month,”
Volunteers may be forced to put fewer items in each grocery bag to make their supply last. The shortage at the Christian Center trickles down from suppliers. It is one of more than a thousand non-profits that depend on distributors like Second Harvest of Wisconsin.

Giving to the Second Harvest is at a ten year low. Making the deficiency worse, rising grocery prices mean donated dollars do not stretch as far.

"The mac and cheese, the peanut butter, the pasta, those types of items, we're particularly short on,” Second Harvest's Gina Styler said.

Second Harvest is hearing similar stories from the agencies they serve.

“When that person gets laid off, for example the pilots at Midwest Express," Styler recounted. "They're suddenly finding themselves in line at food pantry and they never imagined that they would find themselves there,” Styler said.

As for Smith, he hopes there will be enough for the next guy stuck in a financial rut.

"As long as you don't abuse it and you really do need it, fine, but the people who really do need it, let them get it,” Smith said.

Second Harvest prefers money donations over food because they can buy in bulk. They say just $1 provides a meal for a family of five.

You can also help this weekend. The Greater Milwaukee Crop Hunger Walk is Sunday on the Milwaukee lakefront.

The starting line is at McKinley Marina. Registration is at 12:30. The walk begins at 1:30. A food drive benefiting the Hunger Task Force is from 12:30 until 2:00.