Eight million more people have been driven into poverty as the United States struggles with the world's biggest coronavirus outbreak -- triggering tens of millions of layoffs and a sharp contraction in growth
At the Capital Area Food Bank, which serves a wide swath of Washington and its suburbs, President and CEO Radha Muthiah said the number of people receiving aid totaled 400,000 before the pandemic, but has now grown to as many as 650,000.
Demand has increased the most in Montgomery and Fairfax counties, two areas normally considered wealthy but where Muthiah says layoffs have left people suddenly struggling to afford groceries.
"Many of the people who call are now telling us they never had to ask for food before because they had a paycheck, or someone else in their household had a paycheck, but now they've lost that paycheck or they're working fewer hours," she said.
Among the people picking up food assistance are former volunteers or donors who are in need themselves.
"Now they're on the other side of the line," Muthiah said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...ocid=Peregrine
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