ST. CHARLES and OVERLAND, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Food pantries across the region are experiencing a dramatic surge in demand as federal workers and SNAP beneficiaries turn to emergency food assistance, leaving shelves emptying faster than they can be restocked.

At the Ritenour Co-Care Food Pantry in Overland , Executive Director Angela Gabel shows of the facility, which families go through like a grocery store. More people are coming through these aisles.

“It’s not just demand that’s increased, but anxiety has increased,” Gabel said. “We have more clients than we’ve had in the past, and we’ve had just a surge of new clients.”

The pantry’s shelves, which were fully stocked in the morning, quickly emptying out by the afternoon. On Wednesday, Gabel said the pantry is expecting to serve ab

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