NORWICH – Roots and Wings of Chenango County is adjusting to a harsh increase in demand at its food pantry, mirroring a trend of food insecurity that’s being seen nationwide.

According to Roots and Wings, the number of homes served by its food pantry has increased approximately 36 percent since 2010. The organization, acting under direction of Catholic Charities to provide clothing, food and household goods for individuals and families in need, saw a record 626 households served by its food pantry during the month of January this year.

Already, Roots and Wings has offered meals for more than 4,445 households in 2014, coming dangerously close to exceeding its supply. Coordinators recently made a tough decision to downsize its five-day-per-week packaged meal offerings to three-day packages in order to meet the growing demand.

“The cost of food has gone up and our program really can't keep up with it,” said Melinda Mandeville, Director of Roots and Wings. “Things really aren’t slowing down.”