Salem-area food pantry visits decline as other social safety nets expanded in 2021
A volunteer at Marion Polk Food Share packs green beans on Aug. 5, 2021 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)
The number of people visiting food pantries in the Salem area has fallen in 2021 after climbing sharply in 2020.
But Rick Gaupo, CEO of Marion Polk Food Share, said it’s unclear how long that trend will last as many of the welfare programs expanded during the Covid pandemic to help struggling families are set to expire in…
