In Dumfries, Va., an emergency food pantry closed its doors as the weak economy coupled with families hit hard by flooding depleted supplies of donated food.
The empty shelves shocked the 4,000 people who rely on the ACTS pantry for monthly groceries, but the pantry noted a 40 percent increase in demand in recent months, and that was before Tropical Storm Lee flooded Woodbridge residents out of their homes.
Hopefully the closure is brief. Word spread fast, and residents have been dropping off bags and boxes of food. Others are writing checks.
Staffers hope the outpouring of support will allow them to reopen before November and their big Thanksgiving food drive kicks off next month.
