As food insecurity soars among families, Atlanta nonprofits plead for help during the government shutdown

ATLANTA — Nonprofit organizations in Atlanta that help food-insecure families say food insecurity is at an all-time high.

"Last year was our highest year of demand, higher than the height of the pandemic," according to Brad Schweers, the Executive Director of Intown Cares, who added his agency has tracked a 25 percent increase in recent months.

Paul Clements, Executive Director of Second Helpings Atlanta, had a similar message. "We've seen a gradual increase in demand over the past several years, around a 30 percent increase."

Meals on Wheels Atlanta echoed the same sentiment.

"We have over 800 seniors on our wait list, and we just capped it. We stopped," stated CEO Charlene Crusoe-Ingram.

"We have never in the history had that many seniors on the wait list.

In Georgia, at least one