Hunger in the Valley: Local food banks see unprecedented demand

Editor’s note: This article is the first part in a series exploring food insecurity in North Central Washington.

CHELAN COUNTY – In a trend that mirrors statewide statistics, North Central Washington food banks are experiencing historically high numbers as residents struggle to make ends meet. According to the state Department of Agriculture, one in four Washingtonians visited a food pantry last year—a stark indicator of growing food insecurity that's becoming increasingly visible in the region.

“The [Community Cupboard] food pantry is kind of our best indicator of overall how people are doing, and it's certainly right now showing us that people are struggling,” said Upper Valley MEND Executive Director Kaylin Bettinger. 

The Leavenworth-based Community Cupboard’s traditional service area spans from Cashmere to Plain, with about 47 percent of its visitors coming from surrounding locations throughout the region. 

Over the last few years, the number of households receiving assistance from the Community Cupboard has continued to reach new highs, growing from approximately 660 in 2022, to just over 1,300 households in 2024. 

This year, the Community Cupboard has seen record use, serving nearly 3,000 individual shoppers to date in 2025, compared to just over 1,800 individual shoppers at the same time last year. 

“[The Community Cupboard] definitely came in super, super clutch for me, when I was worried where my next meal was going to come from,” said a Community Cupboard user, who asked to remain anonymous. “If it wasn't there, I think it would probably [be] more of a burden psychologically and emotionally, wondering how I'm going to pay for food.”

The Leavenworth resident, who works in both the service industry and construction, first visited the pantry in 2019, when they were struggling to find housing and work in the area. Facing similar circumstances in addition to the rising cost of living, the resident returned to the Community Cupboard this year for support.

“It's pretty crazy right now, just spending $100 for a couple days of groceries at Safeway or Dan’s. Things like that would maybe usually only cost me like, 30 bucks, is now like, 100 bucks for everything. Like, cheese and eggs, and just staples that really shouldn't be that crazy are now almost unattainable,” they said.

The Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council (CDCAC), which distributes food to 20 pantries and other locations, including Upper Valley MEND, has seen similar trends across the two-county region. 

In 2024, its Food Distribution Center supported about 21,400 people, compared to 8,600 people in 2022. And while the number of people visiting in the first quarter of 2025 is slightly lower than last year’s numbers – 6,200 unduplicated visitors this year compared to 8,900 in 2024 – the total number of visits this year is up by 45 percent.

“There definitely was a spike in people accessing food during the pandemic…And going through 2023 and into 2024, we anticipated to see kind of those numbers drop…Our belief is, and what we're hearing from people also, is that just the rising cost of food at the grocery store is driving them to food pantries, and for many people, it's something they haven't done before,” said CDCAC Executive Director Alan Walker.

According to a food price report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), food prices saw a sharp rise of 9.9 percent in 2022, faster than in any year since 1979. The report credited the rise partly to the avian influenza outbreak affecting egg prices, as well as other factors, "including the Russia-Ukraine war, which compounded other economy-wide inflationary pressures such as high energy costs.”

While price increases have slowed in recent years, from a 5.8 percent increase in 2023, to a 2.3 percent increase in 2024, the cost of groceries has continued to rise at a faster rate than many households can keep up with. Additionally, the USDA’s report, updated in March, anticipates overall food prices in 2025 to rise slightly faster than the historical average rate of growth, predicting an increase of 3.2 percent. 

In addition to grocery prices, housing costs have also risen significantly. According to Zillow data, U.S. rents have increased by 34.7 percent since the start of the pandemic, and are up 3.5 percent from last year. According to Zilow’s March report, typical asking rent in the U.S. has reached $2,005.

“People are just spending so much more of the money that they have on their rent and groceries and sort of the basics, and so we used to see that people had some savings, and now we just see that people are really living paycheck to paycheck,” said Bettinger.

As demand for food support increases, what remains unclear is how local food pantries will continue to meet the need as these organizations face higher food costs, decreased funding, and future uncertainties.

“What we have seen over the last 12 months is an increase in need…And a reduction in the amount of food that we have available to support people. So it's kind of a dual effect there,” said Walker.

Part 2 of this series will explore the challenges these organizations face, and the ways in which they are adapting.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media