As the government shutdown stretches on, more families are struggling to make ends meet.

In Cumberland County, local relief efforts are stepping up to help feed and support neighbors during difficult times.

At Second Harvest Food Bank in Fayetteville, staff and volunteers are working tirelessly to meet the growing need.

“We just didn’t have the food to hand out,” said Wesley Rushing, pantry director at Gray Pond Baptist Church.

Rushing said stocking his church’s pantry has been an uphill battle. On Wednesday, he traveled more than an hour to Second Harvest to collect food and supplies for his congregation. Inside the warehouse, some of the shelves were nearly empty, a concerning sign for the food bank’s staff.

“There’s nothing like seeing a mother come down with a child who is asking you for food, knowing they can’t provide for their family,” said David Griffin, food bank director at Second Harvest.

With roughly 76,000 people to feed, a number that has risen since the start of the shutdown, Griffin said the need is dire.

“It’s about demand and because we also lost $2 million in government cuts earlier in the year, that really affected our ability to sometimes get some things in,” Griffin said.

Despite the challenges, Rushing said he’s grateful to bring back relief to those in need.

“It’s increased. We did about 120 to 130 bags this past Friday. That’s probably like 45 more bags than we normally do,” he said.

One silver lining, officials said, has been an increase in furloughed workers volunteering their time, a testament, they say, that even in tough times, compassion keeps communities like Fayetteville standing strong.

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