NORFOLK, Neb. -- One northeast Nebraska charitable organization is facing hardship as it continues to help a growing number of those in need on a decreasing amount of supplies.

The Salvation Army in Norfolk has been distributing food to those facing food insecurity in northeast Nebraska, for many years, free of charge.

Although, as of late the shelves of food are growing scarcer in comparison to the growing amount of families in need.

Commanding Officer Major Jesus Trejo said the Salvation Army has seen a significant jump in the amount of families in need of help as many are struggling to stay afloat while dealing with inflation.

"We're seeing about 150% increase since January, and I think we're doing about 297 families per month on average, and that's a lot," Trejo said. "That's concerning because we see a lot of families that are just struggling to make ends meet, and food is one of those things that is also affected by inflation."

Trejo also notes that the Salvation Army is seeing an all-time low in food donations as well.

With the Salvation Army's local partners facing their own problems stemming from inflation, items that were already on high demand for families are empty on the shelves.

"And we're also seeing donations are down and it's kind of equivalent to what's goin on for the donor," said Trejo. "If they're also facing inflation and financial burdens, then they're going to be a little more conservative with their donations."

In response, Trejo said the Salvation Army has been investing dollars out of its already limited budget to buying food to restock as many shelves as possible for families in need.

They also plan to work with the community to conduct more food drives to increase donations to the pantry.

Despite the limited food availability, those in the northeast Nebraska area facing food insecurity are encouraged go to the Salvation Army to receive a food box to feed their families if needed.