BATON ROUGE – The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank needs to restock its supplies to anticipate higher demand in the fall and winter.

President and CEO Mike Manning said the food bank struggled to obtain food supplies over the summer.

“Inventories have been declining over the last few months and will likely continue to do so until we find a way to get the ship back on course and get more food here. This is an ongoing challenge that we have been facing for several months,” Manning said.

He said that while the organization helps with food shortages by allowing children to go back to school and receive free or reduced-price lunches, that does not relieve them of the responsibility of providing large amounts of food to many in need.

Manning said their inventory has not grown significantly due to a lack of national and local donations.

He said they are looking for ways to expand their inventory as the colder months approach.

“We’re constantly looking for access to food and buying more food than ever before. We’re just doing whatever people can do to help,” Manning said.

Manning said that with the help of food and monetary donations from the community, they can reach their goal of securing as much food as possible.