Community Harvest answers increased demand with help from partners

Beginning March 27, the Indiana National Guard is serving 72 hours at Community Harvest distributing meals to the Fort Wayne community.

Reported their first cases.

As covid-19 spreads ... food pantries in fort wayne are seeing an increase in demand ... and a shortage of staff.

Fox 55's jeremy masukevich tells us how they're relying on help from the national guard..

And you.

Nat carmen 59:10 we have lost half of our employees that are homebound right now so we need people to help us here at the community harvest food bank demand is up and staff is down.

?lower third: carmen cumberland, community harvest food bank president carmen sot 59:23we are packing for next week roughly 2300 hundred boxes but that's going to change.

The need is increasing.

President carmen cumberland says the best way to contribute to food pantries now is by donating money.

Carmen sot 00:04the biggest thing is we are purchasing right now where we usually rely on donated food because of the needs at the store and everybody for no better word hoarding product.

We aren't getting the donations like we normally would.cumberland says they're serving many people who haven't had to rely on them in the past.and none of it would be sustainable without partners like the national guard.

?lower third: capt.

Eric bolin, indiana army national guard battalion training officer bolin sot 5:18 these guys have really stepped up.

We put the call-out last night to them after duty hours were over.

We were here at 7:45 bright and early this morning.the guardsmen are helping community harvest distribute food for 72 hours.

Bolin sot 4:39pack food, pack boxes and help distribute it to the northeast indiana community that has helped us when we have been in need and helped our families when we have been gone.

We just want to be able to give backkelly box and packaging also stepped up donating a truckload of boxes to help deliver the food.

?lower third: joe collie, kelly box and packaging collie sot 14:10during a time of crisis, we want to do everything we can to give back to that community that we have been in for so long.

It's the best way we know how to help right now.in fort wayne, jeremy masukevich, fox 55 news