While a recent fundraiser has brought in an increase of donations to Community Food Banks of South Dakota, Rapid City's food pantry is still struggling in this tough economy.

It's been difficult to stock the shelves at the Rapid City Food Pantry this summer. The donations during local food drives have dropped drastically from last year.

"Food drives are the number one way that we supply our food pantry.  For food drives, we're down about 10,000 pounds compared to last year," Site Manager Monica Leightiser said.

Leightiser says the falling food supply couldn't have come at a worse time. In the first six months this year, the pantry gave out more than 316,463 pounds of food to nearly 20,000 clients, a 76 percent increase from 2008. Officials say that increase in demand is due to a number of factors, from layoffs to paycuts to having more mouths to feed while having kids home during the summer.

"Our agencies are also seeing a demand in their areas; Lead, Deadwood, Hot Springs, Spearfish, so you know, it all trickles down to getting more food in," Leightiser said.

She says without it, thousands in the Black Hills could go hungry.

"This is, you know, it's a basic need. Food, everybody needs to have food. So we are just a basic need agency. And some people just do not have the resources to go out and buy groceries," Leightiser said.

Groceries to help others make it through the summer months and beyond. If you'd like to know where you can drop off donations to the Rapid City Food Panty online.