GRASS VALLEY — September is Hunger Action Month, and a Nevada County nonprofit that provides supplemental food to those in need is asking for community support.

Interfaith Food Ministry (IFM) says they are seeing record numbers, serving more than 2 million pounds of food a year, but are still struggling to meet demand.

“We now serve 160% of the clientele we served when I started,” said volunteer Carol Fegte.

Carol has been a volunteer with Interfaith Food Ministry for five years and says the need for food is only growing.

“This place exists and it only exists because of volunteers and donations,” she said.

The non-profit organization provides food to more than 1,500 families every month, but is currently facing challenges.

“We’re struggling with a decline in donations and an increase in need,” said Marketing Manager Victoria Lindsay. “We’re seeing record numbers of families getting help from us.”

“We’ve been living here for two years now,” said mother Tredi Bowler, who came to get food with her children.

IFM estimates that approximately 15% of Nevada County residents are food insecure and are looking for support to scale up their efforts to provide nutritious meals this holiday season.

“It speaks for itself in reality. People need food. People need help right now,” Bowler said.

“Everyone should be able to sit down and eat with their family during the holidays,” Lindsay said. “We provide a turkey, a ham, sides, but as everyone knows, food costs go up. So our costs go up to provide the holiday meal.”

You can take action by donating, volunteering, or turning in your old grocery bags so they can use them to distribute food.

“Our fundraising is not meeting the demand,” Lindsay said. “We are doing our best to provide healthy, supplemental, nutritious groceries to Nevada County residents who need them, but we absolutely need some help.”

IFM strives for the lowest possible waste percentage. Everything that is not edible is fed to pigs and other animals on local farms.