Christmas is three weeks, and as the pandemic enters into its 9th month, one food pantry in Joplin is seeing a sharp increase in the number of people that need assistance. K R P S’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

This holiday season, the number of Americans is who need help getting by is staggering. One survey taken in May by the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief and food rescue organization Feeding America said the majority of the nation’s food banks have seen an increase in the number of people needing help between 10 and 200 percent, with a nationwide average of 59 percent. In Joplin, the Executive Director of Crossline Ministries, Rodney Rambo says he sees similar trends in Southwest Missouri. “On Wednedsay, we distribute commodities, and so it’s not uncommon to have yanno, over a hundred come through on a Wednedsay, but uhm ya two Wednesdays ago we had over 220 people come.” According to Rambo, the best way to support Crosslines during the pandemic is to write a check and mail it to them. Or you can contribute to their website. To learn more about Crosslines, get their mailing address, or donate online, visit CrosslinesJoplin.org. For K R P S, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro in Webb City