"The need is tremendous," Miguel Rubiera said.
At Emanuel Food Pantry in Durham, volunteers on Monday packed hundreds of bags to distribute this week. They say typically, they serve 800 people.
"It's a lot of families going hungry because the resources are now they are very limited," Rubiera said.
As local groups and organizations address food insecurity in the Bull City, Durham County Commissioners are moving forward with a 10-year strategic plan for the county's food system.
During its board meeting on Monday night, commissioners voted to approve a contract with Key Environmental Consulting to conduct the study. The amount approved is $159,547.
Raina Goldstein Bunnag, who is the county's food security coordinator, said it's a timely topic.
"I think it's a great time to start this assessment," Bunnag said. "I think right now a lot of us are feeling an urgent need to do something with food security and it's been so impressive and inspiring to see the Durham community step up."
In 2023, about 14% of Durham County residents experienced food insecurity. Some community members say they're concerned it's growing.
"It's terrible," Tom and Faye Schaffer said after donating food on Monday. "We need to do more."