Times are tough. In August, the unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in Pierce County, the highest in the state.

From job cuts or reduction in hours, to the increasing costs of food, rent and utilities, thousands of people in Pierce County are simply falling behind. Some have to decide between paying their rent, mortgage, utilities or medical bills and buying food for their families.

Food banks offer a helping hand for those whose economic challenges may mean the difference between paying a bill or sending their children hungry to bed.

Many people who have worked hard all their lives to support themselves and their families are walking through the doors of Pierce County�s food banks for the first time. Through August 2009, more than 702,600 individuals, a 36 percent increase over the same time period in 2008, have visited a food bank in Pierce County. The county�s food banks are now serving more than 87,800 individuals a month.

Given the scope of the downturn in the economy and the slow return of economic health this increased need for emergency food assistance will continue for the remainder of this year and into the next.

As one new client recently said, �I have been a monthly donor to the food bank, but I lost my job earlier this year so now I need assistance.� Pierce County Food Banks strive to provide nutritious food for families to make good, wholesome meals. With more than 700,000 visits so far this year, the coalition�s task seems insurmountable, sometimes even impossible. Demand isn�t expected to die down.

Some food banks also operate summer meals programs to provide free lunch to children when school is out, and others are working with local schools to send food home with hungry children on Fridays so they have enough to eat over the weekend. Even though the economy is slowly recovering, it will be a long while before we are back on track.

The greatest source of a food bank�s strength comes from its donors who give food, money and time. Food banks could simply not exist without them.

Food drives from neighborhoods, schools, churches, organizations and local businesses help fill our shelves; community foundations, businesses, churches and individuals generously donate money to purchase nutritious food; and volunteers from every walk of life, from seniors to business people to students as well as clients wanting to give back, serve as the heart of a food bank.

It�s often volunteers who answer phones, stuff envelopes or organize food drives. They help unload trucks, stock the shelves, or carry bags. Volunteers provide a connection, a smile, or a shoulder to lean on, making the experience of visiting a food bank less about asking for a handout and more about taking a helping hand.

They do good work, and they do it every day, year after year. Because while it�s great to have an increase in donations during the holidays, food banks increasingly need help � whether by cash, food, or volunteer hours � every day of the year because hunger knows no season.

But like many things in life, volunteers are not permanent. Some move away. Others retire. They get sick or go on vacation. So new volunteers are always needed and welcomed, no matter how much or what kind of help they can give.

Food banks in Pierce County are here to serve, and with the help of the community we will continue to provide food assistance to thousands of individuals and families every day of every month. Please contribute to the food bank nearest you.

Beth Elliott and Kevin Glackin-Coley are co-chairs of the Pierce County Food Coalition.