Community Impact reports that an average of 85,000 people monthly in 2024 were served by the Montgomery County Food Bank, which is a 25 percent increase from just two years before.
The range of clients, according to President and CEO of the food bank, Kristine Marlow, are seniors, people with one or more jobs to make ends meet and families with young children.
Marlow said, the food bank is undergoing a $6.5 million expansion, with the rise in demand. According to Community Assistance Center President Jennifer Huffine, the assistance center has seen a 30 percent spike in service demand from 2023 to 24.
Marlow said as the area continues growing and the cost of living moves higher, it’s led some people to question if they can feed themselves.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Montgomery County area, between 2018 to 2023, grew 24.3 percent. According to Marlow, the growth has played a big part in the increase in demand for food assistance in the area. She said, in November, the food bank served a record number of 97,000 clients.
Since 2021, Huffine says the assistance center has served over 42,000 county residents with 4.2 million pounds of food. Currently, Meals on Wheels of Montgomery County, has more than 1,000 clients and since 2015 has had nearly 4,000 total clients.
Huffine said, families have been forced to make increasingly difficult decisions due to the rising cost for housing and essential needs.
More than a quarter of households earn below the minimum income needed for household survival, according to 2022 data from United for ALICE, and that’s in eight zip codes in the Conroe and Montgomery area.
The minimum income level necessary for household survival, based on costs for everyday essentials like transportation, housing, food and child care is what the ALICE threshold represents.
Marlow said the food bank’s $6.5 million expansion will help provide over 1 million more meals a year.
