NORWICH – After the Chenango County Roots and Wings food pantry reported in September the highest number of people served in its 14-year history, the organization continues to face challenges with higher numbers still.

For the month of November, Roots and Wings served 543 families in Chenango County, translating to approximately 1,800 individuals. It’s the second time this year the organization has broken its all-time high for people served and according to Roots and Wings coordinators, it warrants concern for the organization as well as smaller food pantries across the county.

Roots and Wings Food Pantry Coordinator Kathy Darrah tracks numbers for the organization every year. The recent jump in food assistance applicants might be credited to a number of factors, she said, including an ailing economy, unemployment, and a drastic loss of hours for people who are working but paid by the hour.

“We’ve had a lot of new intakes recently. A lot of the increases we see are coming from that,” Darrah said, citing the 37 new families that signed up for food assistance at Roots and Wings in November. “There was no place else for them to turn so they came to us.”