Pa's Senior Food Box Program is administered on behalf of the Dept of Agriculture by Hunger-Free PA through their network of 17 food banks

Demand is up almost 10 percent for assistance in 2021, while the food supply has decreased by more than 30 percent since fall 2020.

These funds have been used to purchase more than 7.9 million pounds of food, which will be delivered between June and December 2021.

The newly hungry have similar stories: Their industry collapsed, lost a job, hours were cut, an opportunity fell through because of illness.