Rising food prices, the federal government shutdown and the holiday season have increased demand at College Park’s two food banks.

At the same time, administrators at the College Park Community Food Bank and the University of Maryland Campus Pantry said support from volunteers, food donations and grants is increasing.

“People are worried about feeding their families,” College Park Community Food Bank President Lisa Bartusek said. “So they look for resources to help with that.”

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, dozens of people stood in line with grocery carts on the sidewalk outside the church where the food bank is located. Cars lined up along Rhode Island Avenue as people waited for volunteers who were handing out the whole turkeys the food bank gives once a year.

“It’s always very well-attended,” Bartusek said. She added, “The government shutdown impacted a lot of neighbors in our area. … And that was quite a long time. People missed at least two paychecks. … I think we’re probably still seeing some of the aftermath of that.”

In the first two weeks of November, the number of people getting food from the Community Food Bank increased by 18% compared with the pantry’s average, Bartusek noted. She added that the brief pause in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits “caused a lot of uncertainty.”

Prince George’s County has more than 55,000 federal workers—one of the highest concentrations in Maryland—and 11% of residents rely on SNAP (Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, according to the Maryland Department of Labor. College Park officials estimate that at least 1,100 federal employees live in the city.

Demand at the UMD Campus Pantry rose from more than 3,000 visits in October 2024 to nearly 5,000 in October this year, manager Larry Tumlin said.

“People coming here say they have to make a choice between paying their rent, tuition and food,” he said.

Among the pantry’s visitors, the majority are graduate students, Tumlin observed, explaining that those who live off campus do not have food plans through the college and some of them are supporting families.

“They have to make their own way,” he added.

Bartusek said high grocery prices are compounding the demand at food pantries. In the DMV,  food prices grew 3.1% between September 2024 and September 2025 and 22% compared with five years ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Everybody’s looking for what they can to sustain them and help them get through the hard times,” Tumlin said.

Jose Miguel Cabrera Kozisek, a doctoral candidate in Spanish language and literature at UMD, visits the campus pantry twice a week. Cabrera Kozisek said when he came to the U.S. from the Republic of Ecuador two years ago, he was shocked to learn that a red pepper cost $1 at Trader Joe’s. “In our country, it’s only 25 cents,” he said.

Despite the high demand, Bartusek and Tumlin said an unprecedented number of donations have kept their food pantries well stocked.

“This semester we’re blessed because we are getting so many donations,” Tumlin said, pointing to an appeal made by UMD President Darryll Pines, who asked people to donate.

“A vendor even donated 12 turkeys,” he added. “I’m really happy to see the shelves as stocked as they are.”

Likewise, Bartusek said the Community Food Bank’s donation shed was “packed every single week” during November.

The food bank also received a portion of the $10 million Gov. Wes Moore distributed to food banks, school pantries and meal distributors when he declared a state of emergency at the end of October as SNAP benefits were about to be temporarily cut off.

“Even though demand is higher, we’re still fulfilling our mission,” Bartusek said. “We’re still giving food to all these people.” She added: “It’s not just us alone on an island trying to meet the needs. The whole community is helping.”