GREAT BARRINGTON — It’s typical for food pantries to see donations drop the first few months of the year, but leaders say this winter is different.

Food pantries across Berkshire County say ongoing economic pressure and changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have left more families relying on food pantries even as donations return to pre-holiday levels.

At the People’s Pantry in Great Barrington, donations have dropped sharply since the November spike, according to Silke Aisenbrey, vice president of operations for the pantry.

“It’s such a dead time in terms of donations,” Aisenbrey said. “And that doesn't mean that people don't need food, or their cars don't break down and they need support.”

SNAP benefits for the about 22,000 Berkshire residents were delayed for the first two weeks of November, sending a swarm of people to no-questions-asked pantries. The uncertainty of benefits then exposed a level of food insecurity that leaders say had been quietly growing. Donations surged as community members, organizations and local businesses stepped in with food drives, free meals and financial support.

In Great Barrington, Aisenbrey said demand at the pantry increased by about 40 percent during that period and remains roughly 10 percent higher than normal, according to pantry officials.

“That is something that is very hard for us,” Aisenbrey said. “We're fine, but it is definitely something that we are worried about, because the predictability of donations is just completely off.”

When benefits resumed, the county was already heading into the holiday season, when charitable giving typically peaks, particularly at the end of the year as donors make tax-deductible contributions.

The surge in donations has faded, while the number of people seeking food assistance hasn’t.

The best way to support a food pantry is to give a monetary donation because the pantries are able to stretch the money a lot further than a regular shopper, though each pantry said any donation is helpful and appreciated. For the many who find themselves on an already tight budget but want to help, organizations are in need of volunteers.

South County isn’t alone in seeing increased demand, said Karen Ryan, food director and services coordinator for the Christian Center Food Pantry in Pittsfield. While January always tends to be slow in terms of giving, Ryan said she is also seeing an increased demand.

Since the SNAP crisis, the Christian Center has seen a major increase in new families. In November, 353 out of the 477 individuals served at the Pittsfield food pantry were new and that trend has continued.

“The winter is definitely a struggle for us,” Ryan said. “After the holiday season, donations don’t come in as much, but also, I just think with the economy, we’re not seeing a lot of people donating food or monetarily toward our food program.”

The Christian Center is the only food pantry open five days a week in Pittsfield and it gets most of its food from the Western Massachusetts Food Bank and Berkshire Bounty, but they still rely on donations.

“It's just making sure that we're able to maintain keeping our refrigerators and shelves filled,” Ryan said. “It's definitely a struggle just to make sure that people are getting the meats and the pastas and the dairy.”

For the last two years, the Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry in North Adams has seen a significant increase in demand, with an initial 20-percent rise. This winter, it saw a steady demand with 175 households served the last week of January.

To accommodate more people and due to higher food costs, it has increased its budget from $71,000 to $111,000. Mark Rondeau, president of the board of directors, said donations have remained steady, with a successful letter campaign last year and ongoing support from various churches and community organizations.

"It's one of the best fundraising drives we've had since COVID and we got a huge amount of donations because the community really stepped up, and now, with inflation and the general craziness, we've seen donations of money come in more and as far as food, I would say it's about the same as usual," he said.

Executive Director of the Christian Center pantry, Jessica Jones, said the best way to support the pantry is with monetary donations, but non-perishable goods, especially hygiene products, are also very helpful.

“That’s really helpful, especially for the people that we're working with that are also facing cuts for their heating assistance and various other things, like their SNAP benefits being cut,” Jones said. “It's about juggling those bills, and so sometimes food is the thing that is most easily left behind.”

“We're here,” Ryan said, “And we're here to support families, individuals, no matter what your background and circumstances are.”