Increasing gas and food prices are also increasing the number of visits to the local food bank, according to Salt Lake Community Action neighborhood coordinator Lori Sandoval.

“April through June of last year, the Tooele Food Bank served 922 families,” said Sandoval. “This year, for the same period, the food bank has seen 1,128 families.”

Sandoval attributes the increase of nearly 20 percent to families that already live on a precarious budget from paycheck to paycheck being stressed by the increase in gas and food prices.

“We have seen families that say they need the food so they can spend some of what they were spending on food on gas to get to work,” Sandoval said.

The food bank is not in bad shape in terms of stock on hand, and has enough canned goods, Sandoval said. However, it is short of packaged goods.

“For instance, I have plenty of spaghetti sauce, but no spaghetti,” she said.

There are a few local churches and scouts planning drives for the food bank. Historically the food bank makes it through the summer but early fall is very short until the holiday food drives kick in.

Sandoval said her agency has also seen an increased number of people applying for help paying their utilities through the HEAT program. HEAT is a federally funded program for low-income families that helps with utility costs.

Sandoval is also concerned by the number of elderly people on fixed income that are having trouble with utilities. With temperatures in the county forecasted to stay in the high 90s this week, if an elderly person gets their electricity turned off they have no way to cool their home, Sandoval said.

Through the Lend a Hand program, Rocky Mountain Power customers make donations that are used to provide assistance to families in need. The Lend a Hand program is administered by the American Red Cross and households with seniors and disabled family members are given priority.

To contact the Community Action Program about the HEAT program call 833-9766; to contact the Red Cross about Lend A Hand call 1-800-328-9272; to contact Rocky Mountain Power about payment plan options call 1-888-221-7070.

tgillie@tooeletranscript.com