ELKHART -- It wasn't someplace Sonya Jackson wanted to be. Sitting in the long corridor Thursday, the unemployed mother of three waited to pick out food items from the Church Community Services' food bank.

"When things were good I never thought I'd be here, but...," she paused, as she clutched the green voucher that she would exchange for 13 items of food. "They make sure they get you the food."

Such guarantees have been reassuring to a growing number of people in Elkhart County who have been utilizing the services of area food banks.

At the CCS food bank, Jackson didn't sit alone. Many who waited with Jackson told stories of how the economic downturn ravaged their lives, while others just waited in silence.

By noon Thursday, pantry volunteers said they helped more than 90 families and on a typical day, they serve around 150.

"We've seen a 30 percent to 50 percent increase from a year ago," said Lorraine Jones, the pantry's manager. "That'll be gone in four to six days," she said, pointing to a pallet of 720 tuna cans.

Other food pantries around Elkhart County have had to meet similar demands.

The Window, a Goshen Food Pantry run by 18 area churches, operates off donations and a monthly $800 budget. Still, the Window's executive director, Ed Swartley, said the pantry's been able to meet the demands so far.

"Our numbers have been going up in the last couple of months," said Swartley. "We just go week by week."

Swartley said The Window wouldn't able to meet the supply without the continuing support from the Goshen community. That is often the case for food pantries.

In Nappanee, every Tuesday and Thursday, many backyard gardeners pick through their crops and take the day's bounty to the Family Christian Development Center. The cucumbers, tomatoes and greens beans donated to the center's food pantry are sometimes so fresh they still have the bugs on them, said the pantry's manager, Ken Woodcox.

"It's just a miracle," Woodcox said. "Our community is there when you need them."

Traffic into the center has increased, with about 100 more families coming for food assistance each month than were accessing the pantry a year ago. In June, the pantry served 281 families, up from the 194 helped in June 2008, according to Woodcox.

Many of the new faces tell Idella Chupp, the center's office manager, that they used to give contributions but now unemployment and underemployment have forced them to ask for help.

Chupp provides comfort by telling them, "Someday you'll probably be back donating again."

A few local families are accessing the food pantry at Open Door in Nappanee as well as the center, Woodcox said. However, most just come to the center, with the line forming about a half-hour before the pantry opens.

Every Monday, Bimbo Bakeries donates 150 to 160 loaves of bread and each week, Pizza Hut gives 100 pounds of pizza left over from the restaurant's buffet. Martin's Super Markets donates bread and local butchers provide meat.

By "a miracle," the center is able to keep the shelves stocked and allow clients to take between 22 and 24 grocery items, Woodcox said.

Supplies at the CCS food pantry have been harder to come by, said Jones.

"Our donations have dropped off in the last month," she said. "We go through peanut butter like crazy and we never have jelly to go with it. It's sad."

Donations from companies like Bimbo have allowed the food pantry to continue to supply the high number of people. Still, CCS has had to step back.

CCS recently had to cut the number of food items families can take. Where families with fewer than four members could take 13 items, now they can only take eight. Similarly, families with more than four members that used to be allowed 15 items are now allowed 10.

That's made things harder for Kari Drake, whose paycheck goes almost entirely to rent, utilities and gasoline. With her husband's unemployment benefits running out in two weeks and with four children to feed, she's been forced to apply for food stamps and visit food banks.

"This place helps," Jackson said, as she waited for her turn to pick out food from the CCS food bank. "But I have to hit four or five (other food pantries) to get a week's worth of food for the entire family."

Truth reporter Marilyn Odendahl contributed to this story.